The Importance of Winter Composting

If ever there was a season for lolling about in bed and sleeping in till noon on the weekends, it would the winter. Everything slows down in the wintertime. Animals hibernate. Cars take longer to start up. Icy sidewalks and snowy highways make commuting to work an even bigger hassle than normal. No sooner do school buses make their rounds in the afternoon than the sun begins to fade below the horizon. For many people, the wintertime signifies a long hiatus, where the events of a single day can slip by without notice into a dreamlike haze. Though there are many recreational activities we associate only with the winter season (i.e. ice skating, skiing, snowboarding), gardening is usually not one of them.

Even the most experienced gardeners may feel intimidated by the prospect of freezing temperatures and extreme weather conditions. However, there is one aspect of your garden which can be developed over the winter season, and that is your compost pile. Composting improves the soil quality of your garden by combining decaying organic matter with microorganisms that decompose your yard and food waste. Even though most of these organisms tend to freeze up in the wintertime, there are ways to maintain your compost pile and create a strong foundation for your garden that will be ready by the spring.

Making the decision to continue your compost pile over the winter entails being aware of what options you have and what steps you can take to ensure the best possible results. Here are some strategies to consider, as you begin to prepare your compost pile for the winter:

1. Worm Compost Bins. Because worms tend to slow down during the winter, it is crucial that you regulate the amount of food waste you toss into the compost bin. Leaving the worms outside in cold weather may also prove disastrous, if it ever rains or snows. The best way to handle a worm compost bin in the wintertime is to move the worms to a garden shed, preferably one that will also shelter them from the wind and cold outside.

2. Cold Composting. This form of composting requires the least amount of effort, as it involves little more than gathering all organic materials into one area. Cold composting, also called a cold pile, attracts only certain kinds of bacteria and may take anywhere between 6 months to 2 years to create actual compost for one’s soil. While the process can be tiresomely slow, a cold pile needs only occasional turning and infrequent monitoring to begin generating compost. In the wintertime, feel free to add whatever materials you can collect for your cold pile to the compost bin. Mix garden waste and kitchen leftovers with cardboard and paper. Make sure that there is enough air in your cold pile, and place your compost bin in an area where it is likely to receive more sunlight.

3. Hot Composting. An intricate process, hot composting involves an intensive preparation of materials. Waste is first sorted out by type, and then combined layer by layer into the heap. The amount of each material that goes into the pile determines the efficiency of the bacteria. Depending on whether or not the compost is built the right way, the pile will heat up and create a large amount of compost within a short period of time. In the winter, insulate your compost bin to keep the temperature warm and turn the pile every time the temperature begins to drop.

4. Storing Food Scraps. Instead of building your compost pile during the winter, consider collecting leftover kitchen waste in sealed containers that you can keep outside. Place these containers in a cool and unheated area, like in a garden shed or garage. Once the winter season ends, use the food scraps to build a larger compost pile with different waste materials mixed in.