My compost bin fills up every winter ... with all the freezing temperatures of late the composting process has come to a complete standstill.
I don’t think my garden could look any worse. The borders I left to rot into themselves have tumbled all over the lawn, the patio is covered in pigeon poo, and there’s now a temporary cardboard compost bin outside my back door because the real bin is full. Hurry up spring.
My compost bin fills up every winter. It’s a lovely wooden beehive type that looks perfect in our tiny garden. It’s sited against the south-facing wall and gets really hot and steamy in summer. The frogs love it and it’s full of worms, slugs and beetles. But it’s too small, which is bad enough in summer, but with all the freezing temperatures of late the composting process has come to a complete standstill.
Compost heaps break down quicker in summer because the bacteria involved in the decomposition process work better in warm temperatures. Worms are also more active in warm heaps, eating and tunnelling through more waste. My bin is like a fridge at the moment. If I had X-ray eyes I'd probably find the worms and frogs huddled together at the bottom of the heap, taking advantage of what little warmth is left. It's so full the lid won't fit on properly (which is only adding to the problem). I have abandoned it in favour of the battered cardboard box outside my back door; if that fills up I'm in trouble.
Compost heaps can be encouraged to break down in winter with a covering of thick insulation, such as a layer of cardboard, carpet or even an old duvet. Compost bins can be wrapped up - they will look ridiculous but at least they'll produce compost for spring.
Wormeries also need insulating from the cold. In winter, worms tunnel to the centre of compost heaps (earthworms tunnel deep in the ground), but wormeries tend to be a little more exposed and the worms can freeze if they're not insulated. If you can't bring your wormery indoors (a shed or greenhouse will do), wrap it up with bubble wrap or other suitable material.
I'll be doing my best to insulate my compost bin this weekend - at the very least I'll put the lid back on properly. But I fear the horse has already bolted, it will take ages for it to heat up again.
See more comments...
