Simple Ways To Make Composting More Efficient

Having a home composting pile promotes the green lifestyle, as you'll probably already have a garden in place to benefit from decomposing material. But let's face it, nature likes to take its time when breaking down organic material into more viable nutrients. Want to speed things up? Try these tips to accelerate Mother Nature's work, and soon you'll be able to provide lush matter for growing your own fruits and vegetables.

Where should a compost heap be located?

Speeding up the compost process involves proper amounts of heat and moisture. Try to situate the compost heap away from extreme exposure to the sun and wind. You don't need it in direct sunlight, because it will dry up fast and end up as a good source of tinder. Great for starting camp fires, but not really what you're going for.

Exposing it directly to seasonal winds will also cause it to lose precious moisture, so it's best to place the compost pile in a somewhat protected site, away from the elements. Just don't leave it out in the open. Good locations are near a group of shrubs, at the base of some neighboring trees, or in specially built pens you can cover or expose, depending on current weather conditions.

What about adding worms to the bin?

Get to it! Worms are nature's resident experts when it comes to breaking down organic material. It's what they live for, it's all they want to do. They also help aerate whatever is in there by boring through the heap all day. They're there to help you, and you won't need to do a thing to compensate them for it. Throw some dinner scraps onto the pile and they're happy.

How about a spinning composter?

A spinning composter will speed things along, and make it a lot more convenient to mix things up. Crank a few turns and you're done until the next time. Because it's so easy to operate, you'll be inclined to do it more often, thereby not just letting it sit and become matted. Ideally, go out back and spin it a few times every three days. This way, there will be a rich harvest of quality compost to be had in a matter of weeks.

By the way, its not a requirement to drive out and buy a spinning composter, flipping a heap of compost with a pitchfork will do the same thing -- the brief workout will do your waistline good too!

Will chopping garden clippings or table scraps before adding it in help any?

It sure will, because little pieces decompose a heck of a lot faster than big pieces. When you buy a bag of fertilizer or professionally made compost, you don't see whole branches or intact banana peels do you? You get a bag of fine granules, right? Same principle applies here.

Am I supposed to water a compost pile the same way I water a plant?

Not exactly, a composting pile needs moisture, as mentioned before, but only enough so it doesn't go dry. You're not trying to saturate nature's workplace, you're only trying to give it periodic sips, which is all it needs. But during warm weather, pour in more water, ensuring not to drown what you've got going.

By trying out these aforementioned tips, you'll be ahead of the pack when it comes to having a nutritious mix prepared in no time. Instead of having to wait months, performing these acceleration tips for decomposition will set you on the fast track to a thriving garden.