Northern Tips

The composting process works perfectly well in the North, but due to our shorter seasons, there are some particular tips to follow for successful northern composting.

1. Using Activators. Organic activators are high in nitrogen. They "kickstart" and maintian the heating process. While comercial activators exist, many natural (and free) ones exist: Fresh grass clippings, manure, coffee grounds, urine, hair, feathers and fertilizers such as fish meal and bone meal. Add activators with carbon-rich materials in no more than a 1:1 ratio.
2. Preparing Compost Materials. Chopping materials into smaller pieces increases the surface area for faster decomposition. Most kitchen trimmings will be small enough (think thumb-sized), but chop larger, tougher materials such as melon rind, broccoli stalks and pumpkin shells into smaller peices.
3. Winter Composting. Begin a new pile in the late fall that you will add to throughout the winter. Start with a base layer of fall leaves, about 12" deep. Add kitchen scraps over the the winter, as you normally would. The freezing process breaks down the cellular walls of plant material, speeding up the decomposition when warm weather returns. In the spring, more 'brown' materials may be needed to keep the pile balanced. Use bagged leaves saved from the fall.
4. Weeds. Weeds can be especially useful in compost, due to their high mineral content. Include weeds such as horsetail, sweet clover, seaweed, thistle and yarrow leaves. Be careful to avoid aggressive weeds (dandelions and quack grass) and any weed seeds.