When starting a compost pile, there are a few things you should know before you get started. You should avoid windy locations, keep your compost heap away from invasive perennial weeds, and water it regularly. In addition, avoid using food waste in your compost pile. This will contaminate it and make it harder to compost.
Avoid windy locations
If windy conditions are an issue for you, choose an area where there’s a thick buffer of vegetation. This will help trap particulate matter and reduce odors. It’s also best to place odor-producing activities in sheltered locations with buildings, hills, or walls. Winds tend to disperse faster in areas with high turbulence than in areas with laminar wind patterns. Winds can be strong enough to cause the smell of compost to be more noticeable than in locations that are sheltered by trees.
If you’re composting, you’ll want to avoid locations that get too windy. The wind will reduce the temperature of the pile, which will cause the compost to breakdown more slowly. If possible, choose a sheltered location that receives partial sun or filtered shade. Windy locations can also be inconvenient for composting, so consider how the area in question will be used. To disguise the pile from prying eyes, try planting a shrub or vine covered trellis.
Avoid invasive perennial weeds
Perennial weeds are not only troublesome to remove from a compost pile, but also harmful to animals and to agricultural production. Some of these weeds are also invasive and may even be invasive to your yard. They have tough root systems and can spread quickly. Be aware of these invasive weeds to keep them under control.
To avoid these weeds, make sure you catch them early, before they go to seed. Once you’ve harvested them, cut them back to the roots. To compost them, add them to a self-insulating compost pile. Make sure to turn the heap regularly to maintain the temperature. This way, the weeds are killed before they can start spreading their seeds and rhizomes. Once your pile has reached 40degC, you’re ready to remove the invasive weeds.
Avoid food waste
In addition to contributing to our ongoing climate crisis, food waste costs the U.S. $165 billion per year, or $529 per person. We can do our part to reduce waste by planning meals ahead of time and not buying food that we do not use. Using a meal planning tool on the internet can help you determine how much food you need to make your meals. Planning ahead also helps you avoid impulse buys that lead to wasted food.
It is estimated that a third of all food produced worldwide is wasted. That means 1.3 billion tons of food is wasted each year. That’s enough to feed 868 million people! That’s four times as much food as we need to sustain life. By being aware of your food waste and composting the waste you produce, you can not only save money, but also help the environment. There are many recipes available online that will help you avoid food waste and increase the chances of composting success.
Water your compost pile
Watering your compost pile is an important part of its maintenance. If you want to keep it healthy, it needs moisture to remain alive and active. It should be wet, like a well-wrung sponge, but it shouldn’t be so wet that it can’t be turned. Turning the pile often will help to evenly distribute moisture and prevent it from accumulating in one spot.
You should water your compost pile every three to seven days. This watering frequency is recommended for compost piles located in areas with dry climates. However, if you live in an area with mild weather, you can water it as often as once or twice per week.
Avoid insects
While some insects are beneficial, others can make your composting experience unpleasant. One such pest is the black soldier fly. While they don’t require special conditions to thrive, they do increase the temperature of the compost. To avoid these pests, you should avoid adding food scraps to your compost. Instead, cut the organic matter into small pieces. This will increase its decomposition rate and reduce the amount of pests.
Other bugs to avoid when composting include slugs, bees, and ants. While they don’t usually eat organic matter, they can be unsightly and potentially carry disease. Houseflies and slugs can also be an issue if they find your compost pile. Slugs and ants can colonize a portion of your pile, and the baby beets they produce can breed and multiply in your pile.