How can I speed up the rate of compost production in my compost bins?

Question

I have 5 of them - all full with a mix of kitchen and garden waste. Problem is - I did a foolish thing really. I didnt fill them one at a time. I just threw stuff into whichever one was closer to me at the time. So now I have almost ready compost at the bottom of them all and totally fresh stuff at the top. They are all at pretty much the same stage. Is there something I can do to speed up the compose process cos I cant add more stuff to the bins until I get some stuff out !

Answer 1

The best compost is the compost that took its time.  What you should do now is take a pitchfork and move the compost into one pile; all the stuff that's close to getting done should be in one pile and the not-so-done stuff in another.  You can probably turn five piles into two or three instead and help speed the process of decomposition.

Compost needs air, water and a combination of green and brown stuff on a regular basis.  It takes a few months to really get good, dark compost ready for the garden.  But you can speed up the process with weekly attention:  turn the pile, add moisture when needed, and poke holes into the compost so that air can go through.

Answer 2

get a man to wee in them - something in male urine speeds the process up.

Answer 3

I would turn the fresh materials off the top of the "almost finished" pile into the second bin so that you can get to the good stuff.  Then add fresh matter into that bin to get it cooking.

Answer 4

Sal*uk: eww!  I don't recommend having some guy pee on your compost pile! There are compost accelerators available at any garden store. You can also monitor the temperature, keep the pile moist and turn frequently! Earth worms are also of great benefit.

Answer 5

add a handful of fish blood and bone-meal, i take it that you have followed all the instructions, placed on soil, in full sun, you can even buy composting worms to build up your colony even quicker if you like

Answer 6

Turn them and keep them in a sunny location

Answer 7

I did the exact same thing. I had 5 piles that were slow to produce fully composted material, too slow for my patience. What I did was take all the small piles and made one large pile. It sped up the process 10 fold! I now get a wheelbarrow full of great compost every two weeks.

Turn the pile every week. And water it well if you live in an area that is hot. Make sure the water gets all the way down to the middle of the pile. Dont just water the top.

good luck!

Answer 8

Throw in a few Thickomints.

Answer 9

By knowing the optimum conditions of heat, moisture, air, and materials, we can speed up the composting process. Besides producing more good soil faster, making the compost faster creates heat which will destroy plant diseases and weed seeds in the pile.

Any pile of organic matter will eventually rot, but a well-chosen site can speed up the process. Look for a level, well-drained area. If you plan to add kitchen scraps, keep it accessible to the back door. Don't put it so far away you'll neglect the pile. In cooler latitudes, keep the pile in a sunny spot to trap solar heat. Look for some shelter to protect the pile from freezing cold winds which could slow down the decaying process. In warm, dry latitudes, shelter the pile in a shadier spot so it doesn't dry out too quickly.

The speed with which you produce finished compost will be determined by how you collect materials, whether you chop them up, how you mix them together, and so on. Achieving a good balance of carbon and nitrogen is easier if you build the pile all at once. Layering is traditional, but mixing the materials works as well.

Check this site below for additional information.

Answer 10

add worms... (check out the wigglywigglers website)