Waiting for compost is seriously laborious but of you can put in a little more effort you will be rewarded. Cold composting with minimal effort takes around 12 months but It's possible to get the black gold stuff in as little as 6 weeks.
Quick Compost Method
If you want to accelerate your composting then there are a few ways you can do this but they do require extra effort and you need to do all of them not just one or two. By employing all of the belowstrategie together you will get the quickest compost, if you just choose some of them then your compost will take longer.
Shredding. The smaller the pieces the quicker your quick compost heap will work so chop your ingredients up. You can use a shredder or alternatively throw the contents onto the lawn and mow over with the lawnmower to chop everything into little pieces. This will increase the surface area which compost microbes have to work on and also provide a more even distribution of air and moisture between materials.
Size. Your pile will need to be at least 1m wide, deep and tall. Keeping it warm by covering with carpet or inside a wooden box frame will also speed up the process. The inside of the pile should be warmer than the outside.
Turning. Compost bacteria need plenty of air to survive to turning the heap regularly you can speed up the composting process. Having a compost bin with 2 sections can help by turning from one side into the other. Aim to turn the heap every 2 days for the first week then every 3 days for the second week then once a week for 4 weeks. When turning you will be able to see see how quickly the heap is decomposing and if you need to add any more of one ingredient or another or even some water. I often find that if my heap is not decomposing quick enough the addition of some grass clippings will help speed things up.
The right ratio of materials. As a general rule using equal parts green and brown, OR with 2 parts green and 1 part brown will get you very close to where you need to be, however, you can use a compost ratio checker like this one from Morning Chores to measure the exact amounts you are adding. The ideal carbon to nitrogen ratio is between 20 to 40 to 1 part carbon.
Ensure your heap is wet enough, it will need to be around 60 % Moisture, if you find that its too moist then you can add more browns, covering to prevent water penetration is also a good idea.
After approx 6 Weeks your heap should be ready to use
Read out Blog about Secrets to making great compost for beginners
Comments