TIL my compost pile hit 140 degrees last week and I got way too excited

Honestly, I never thought much about compost temps until I stuck a thermometer in my bin on a dare from my neighbor Dave. Turns out 140 degrees is the sweet spot for killing weed seeds, and my pile hit it on the nose after I added 3 bags of shredded leaves from the park. Found this stat in some old extension office PDF from Iowa State University. Has anyone else geeked out over their compost thermometer readings?

3 comments

3 Comments

taylor_miller101mo ago

Dave would be proud. Next thing you know you'll be timing your compost flips like a pro athlete.

jana_scott1mo ago

Actually I started counting the days between flips to see if there's a sweet spot for when the pile heats up fastest. Day 4 seems to be the magic number for mine. But honestly I think over-timing it takes away from just letting the pile do its thing. It's like gardening you know, you can't force nature to speed up.

seth_harris3627d ago

Letting the pile do its thing" - that part really hit me. I used to be all about strict schedules and timers, thought I was being scientific about it. But honestly you're right, the best compost I ever made was when I just flipped it when it felt right and stopped overthinking it.