Winter Composting

Tips and tricks for keeping your compost going all year long.

Written by Brigid Lee

Have you been wondering how to continue composting throughout the frigid winter months? Whether you have outdoor space or not, you can still contribute to diverting food scraps from the landfill. Keeping your compost going during the winter months provides a potent tool for a garden when spring arrives.

Similarly, to most things in life, preparation is required to keep your compost going throughout the winter. During the fall, collect, bag and store dried leaves and twigs. These will be the brown waste for the winter. Brown waste is carbon rich and provides food for the microorganisms breaking down the compost.

During the winter months the decomposition rate of your backyard compost bin will decrease. Decomposition will not come to a complete halt unless the pile freezes, and this can be prevented in a few ways.

If your compost bin is open and exposed to the elements on the top or the side:

• Cover the opening with a tarp to keep out moisture and lock in heat.
• Insulate your compost bin by using hay bales, tarps, or leaves on all sides of your bin to keep the compost inside warmer.

Another detail to pay attention to during the winter months is the composition of your compost pile. It is imperative that any green waste, or kitchen scraps, are cut into small pieces allowing for them to decompose faster. The ratio of brown waste to green waste during the winter should be 4:1, brown: green. (Winter Guide For Composting: Simple Steps For Success - Composthq). According to Cornell University, “It is always best to layer greens with browns. This ensures the right ratio of carbon to nitrogen, helps aerate and provides adequate drainage in the pile… all of which contributes to next spring’s harvest of "black gold."” To keep as much heat as possible in your compost, turning the pile in the winter is not necessary since it may result in a loss of heat from the middle of the pile. (Cornell)

If you live in an apartment, there are still ways to compost:

• You can place your food scraps in a bowl or Tupperware container on your counter.
• For an odor free option, you can also place your compost in the freezer until you are able to take it to a local drop off spot.

Around Cincinnati you can compost with Queen City Commons (Queen City Commons – Cincinnati Composting Service), Compost Now (CompostNow – Composting Made Easy), and Findlay Market (Residential Composting Program — Findlay Market).

There are multiple strategies for keeping your compost going during the winter months. By continuing to divert food scraps from the landfill with a personal compost pile or a local community drop off site, we can all contribute to a more earth conscious Cincinnati.