Composting Methods: A Thorough Overview
July 8
3 min read
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Let’s compost together.
So you’ve decided to start composting – congratulations! We’re excited for you (and the planet)! But now that you’ve said yes, which composting methods should you select? We’ve summarized the most common composting techniques to help you decide which option works best for your composting goals, available space, lifestyle, and budget.
The Modern Potager Kitchen Garden
The joy of the modern potager is living in a more intentional and positive way where we recognize we are our environment and our environment is what we make of it. A healthy, sustainable environment starts at home with conscious decisions to live in a reflective way that prioritizes giving back to the ecosystem and our human community.
Composting Methods: Which Should You Use?
There are three common methods to compost: traditional or cold composting, hot composting, and vermicomposting or worm composting.
COLD COMPOSTING
Traditional composting or “cold” composting uses piles of mixed materials that decompose over time naturally with the occasional turning of the stacks to aerate and introduce new materials. This method is budget-friendly because it uses the naturally occurring heat of decomposing matter to facilitate the process.
This method requires a shaded, dedicated space and plenty of time to create usable garden compost, but no special equipment is needed. However, these piles can attract critters, are not as nutrient-rich as vermicomposting, and often needs to be sifted and re-composted to be usable. Most gardeners use a three bin system when cold composting to aerate the piles and move more decomposed materials to an advanced pile leaving larger materials to continue breaking down.
Decomposition is much faster when the compost ingredients are smaller. Shredding woody materials, tearing up cardboard, and chopping up kitchen scraps speeds up the process because there is more surface area exposed to the microbes that consume the organic matter.
VERMICOMPOSTING
Composting with worms is fun and more straightforward (in our humble opinion). Vermicomposting or worm composting is similar to traditional composting but introduces red worms to speed up the composting process; it is one of the most rapid composting methods. The result is heavily nutrient-rich “black gold” – or worm castings – containing various plant nutrients and beneficial microorganisms. Worm castings contain more potassium, phosphorus, and nitrogen than regular soil.
You can create a simple DIY worm composting bin or buy one that fits your home’s style (such as the SubPod) – the only special ingredient is red wiggler worms. We like solutions that include locking lids to discourage any critters from exploring. You can use worm compost in the garden: to amend the soil, as a side feeding fertilizer during growth, and for worm (compost) tea. Using worm tea as an organic foliar feeding fertilizer allows plants to absorb nutrients quickly. In addition, you will use the “tea” castings in the garden to slowly release additional nutrients.
Vermicomposting greatly accelerates the decomposition process. The resulting compost texture is soft, lightweight, and has more microorganisms than (traditional) composting. With conventional composting, what usually takes several months can take as little as 1-2 months to turn kitchen wastes into valuable biofertilizers.
HOT COMPOSTING
Hot composting is one of the more advanced composting methods. Where the ratio by volume for traditional composting is usually 1:1, with hot composting the ratio should be 2 parts carbon to 1 part nitrogen. To facilitate decomposition, the mixture is kept damp but not wet. Hot composting is good for when variety of irregular materials (logs, twigs, woody stalks, straw, or hay) create air pockets that heat up to accelerate decomposition.
The hot composting technique is how many municipalities will care for the newly separated green waste (following the windrow practice). This method requires a dedicated space and time to create usable garden compost. A thermometer and pitchfork are required to maintain the optimal temperature and aeration. However, these piles can attract critters, are not as nutrient-rich as vermicomposting, and often needs to be sifted and re-composted to be usable.
Hot composting is ideal for creating ready-to-use leaf mulch or leaf compost. Leaf mulch is made exclusively from dried leaves that break down naturally. Collect disease-free leaves in the fall that can be shredded or crushed to make nutrient-rich mulch for covering raised or in-ground gardens during the winter season, as a layer when filling new garden beds, or added to a worm bin or maturing compost pile. Shredded leaves break down quickly and make a good base material for new cold compost piles.
Select the Right Composting Method
Getting started with composting doesn’t have to be overwhelming. There are some important factors to ask yourself when selecting a compost method regarding your composting goals, available space, lifestyle, and budget.
Some key questions include:
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- How much do you want to compost?
- How quickly do you want to use your compost?
- How much space do you have available for composting in your garden?
- Do you want a hands-on composting solution or a set-it and forget-it option?
- And how much do you want to financially invest into your composting solution?
Whichever method you choose, the more you compost the more you can give back to the environment with healthy inputs that will improve the soil quality. As your experience with composting grows, you’ll develop new skills and maybe even a new interest in other techniques. Making your own compost will keep green waste out of landfills where they take up space and contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. Once you decide how you want to compost, it’s time to gather the right materials and get started.
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