My uncle swore by composting in the dead of winter, I finally tried it and he was right

Honestly, my uncle told me for years that you can compost even when it's 20 degrees out. I figured everything would just freeze and turn into a gross ice block. Last January I finally gave it a shot with a small bin right by my back door. The pile actually broke down over those cold months thanks to the heat from the center and all my kitchen scraps. Has anyone else had luck with winter composting or is my uncle just lucky?

3 comments

3 Comments

williamb297d ago

The key is getting that balance right between browns and greens, even when it's freezing out. I had to learn the hard way that too many wet kitchen scraps with no dry leaves just turns into a slushy mess. My pile actually steamed on those really cold mornings, which was pretty wild to see. What size bin are you using and how often are you turning it?

the_hayden6d agoMost Upvoted

@williamb29 Tbh it's just dirt, not that deep.

bennett.mason1d ago

Honestly same here, I thought I was overcomplicating it at first but once I got the ratio right the pile just started working on its own even in the cold. Tbh seeing steam rise off it on a frosty morning is one of the most satisfying things in gardening.