Winter composting hacks – 6 ways to accelerate a compost pile and fill your garden beds for free next spring

When the temperature starts to drop, our gardens tend to take a backseat. But if you want to get a headstart on next year’s garden, it’s well worth making the most of these winter composting hacks. After all, this organic matter can give your spring and summer gardens the boost they desperately need.

Every garden needs feeding, and adding compost to your outdoor space can improve soil quality, conserve water, and promote healthier plant growth. Plus, nailing how to make compost will also save you money on buying ready-made bags from the garden centre. However, this can be difficult in the winter. As Morris Hankinson, Managing Director of Hopes Grove Nurseries, explains, ‘Over the colder months of the year, the composting process will slow down naturally.’

You can use many winter composting hacks to speed the process up, though. By following the steps below, you can accelerate your compost pile and fill your garden with nutrient-rich matter in time for spring.

1. Go bigger

Composting can be extremely beneficial to your garden efforts, especially as the differences between topsoil and compost can be the difference between thriving garden borders and struggling blooms. And there’s no harm in having more compost than you need - which is why going bigger in winter is your best bet.

Throughout the winter months, Morris advises, ‘If you have the space, a larger compost pile will better retain the heat than a smaller pile, so go as big as you can.’

And if you really want to make the most of the winter composting hacks out there, it could also work in your favour to move your bigger compost heap to a different location - especially if you have a north-facing garden and rarely get any sunlight during winter. This is echoed by Graham Smith MCIHort, a gardening expert from LBS Horticulture.

He says, ‘To achieve the best results and keep your compost heap active when the temperatures are lower, move the compost bin to the warmest area of your garden. The ideal location is somewhere that receives sun throughout the daytime, and you can combine this with insulation to help retain any heat that is captured throughout the day.’

2. Keep an eye on moisture levels

Without moisture, organic matter won’t be able to break down and create the all-important compost we use to feed our gardens. But if you want to ensure that you can continue making compost over winter, you need to keep an eye on these moisture levels.

Morris says, ‘The compost pile will need to be moist but not soggy, so even during the winter, keep a check on moisture levels and add some water if it is particularly dry. If it’s very wet, mix in some brown materials to balance moisture levels out.’

Of course, a visual check may be enough to determine whether the organic matter inside the compost bin is moist rather than soggy - but if you want to ensure you have as much compost come springtime as possible, it could be worth investing in a soil moisture meter. Plus, you can use this tool elsewhere to ensure you’re not making any garden watering mistakes.

3. Consider insulation

Just as you should insulate a house over winter, you should also insulate areas of your garden over winter. In fact, most experts would advise insulating your greenhouse and insulating your compost bin or heap. This will protect your compost over winter and speed up the decomposition process to ensure it’s readily available for your spring and summer gardens.

As gardening expert Calum Maddock at HomeHow.co.uk explains, ‘Typically, the hottest part of the compost heap is in the centre, with the outer edges being cooler and the material taking longer to break down. So, adding some insulation can help to increase and maintain the temperature and spread it more evenly throughout the compost heap.’

There are many ways to insulate your compost, and which option you choose ultimately depends on whether you have a dedicated compost bin or just a heap in the corner of your garden.

Morris advises, ‘Some pre-made bins will come with insulation, otherwise use cardboard, straw or even wool blankets to insulate the bin. If you have an exposed compost pile, wrap it with tarp or at least some cardboard to try and keep some of the heat in when it is cold.’

4. Add shredded organic matter

What many people fail to realise is that composting is somewhat of an art form and relies on a delicate balance of brown matter (which adds carbon) and green matter (which adds nitrogen). And to ensure this perfect balance - especially when utilising winter composting hacks to speed up the process - you need to know what you can and can’t put in a compost bin.

For example, you should never put teabags in a compost bin, but adding paper and cardboard is one of gardening guru Monty Don’s favourite things to do for this organic matter. But it’s not just a case of grabbing a leftover cardboard box and throwing it on the top of the pile. To help breakdown compost quickly, you need to shred it up.

Morris explains, ‘When you add to the compost pile, try to shred as much of the material as you can because smaller pieces will break down faster, and at all times of the year ensure you are adding a good balance of green and brown materials.’

If you’re in a time crunch and want to ensure that you have enough compost to feed your garden in spring, it may be worth investing in an electric composter that will do the hard work for you.

5. Keep turning to a minimum

During the warmer months of the year, you should be turning your compost as often as possible. By doing this, you add all-important oxygen to the organic material, allowing it to break down quicker.

And while you may assume that you should continue doing this during the colder months of the year, you should actually keep turning to a minimum during this time. Graham agrees, saying, ‘Turn the heap as little as possible through winter, as this can cause heat loss that will slow down the decomposition process.’

Of course, you still want to incorporate some oxygen into the compost pile as a lack of oxygen will result in strong (and rather disgusting) smell and uneven breakdown. But you also want to retain as much heat as possible, so aim to turn your compost once or twice in winter.

6. Invest in a hot composter

Hot composting is becoming a hot topic in the garden world, and knowing how to hot compost is one of the best ways to speed up the decomposition process. It’s also the perfect winter composting hack for those who want to keep their composting efforts going during the colder months.

Morris says, ‘Hot bins produce compost at a much quicker rate than a natural compost pile and can even break material down in just a few weeks. If you need compost quickly, hot bins are worth the investment. The heat speeds up the decomposition and can even kill off pests and diseases. With space and time to keep up the management of a hot composter, you can still be producing compost when most compost piles are far less active.’

And while these hot composters do come at a price, they’re ideal for serious gardeners who want to ensure their spring gardens are given the boost they need after the colder months.

FAQs

How do you convert cold compost to hot?

If you don’t want to use a dedicated hot composter, there are ways to convert cold compost to hot without one. This includes:

• Turning the compost every 2-3 days to increase aeration and mix up all of the organic matter.
• Adding more brown matter to increase carbon levels. You should aim for 25:1 ratio of brown to green matter.
• Adding insulation to the compost pile or heap.
• Keeping on top of moisture levels, so the compost is moist but not saturated.
• Checking the temperature with a thermometer every few days. You should aim for between 40–60°C.

Should a compost bin be in the sun or shade?

During the warmer months of the year, it’s beneficial to keep your compost bin in partial shade. Too much sunlight and warmth can dry out the organic matter, which will slow down the decomposition process - especially if you don’t add moisture manually. However, it likes a little bit of sunlight as the warmth also helps to speed up the decomposition process. So, a little bit of both is best.

During the winter, it may work in your favour to move your compost bin into the sunlight. This is especially true if you want to speed up the process so you have compost on-tap to feed your spring garden.

With these winter composting hacks at your disposal, you should be set for spring.