Gardeners often assume outdoor compost piles stop working in cold weather, but beneficial microbes can continue to break down compost all winter. The problem is that composting takes much longer in ...

Composting doesn't stop when temperatures drop. While many gardeners cover their piles in fall and forget about them until spring, winter composting actively breaks down organic matter and produces ...

If your goal is to support wildlife in your yard throughout every season, don't shut down your composting operation in the winter. During the cold months, you want to attract tiny critters by ...

Though some folks are longing for snow, weather services predict a warmer, wetter winter than usual (whatever usual is anymore). Since Washington is still in deep drought, extra rain will be helpful, ...

Many home gardeners start compost piles before winter to reduce waste and prepare for spring prep. Fall cleanup provides a steady supply of leaves, stalks and other carbon-rich materials that become ...

The moment the snow melts and the garden wakes up, the compost pile sometimes delivers a shocking surprise. Instead of the ...

One thing I’ve always wondered is whether the compost pile can perform its duties during the coldest months of the year. I’ve talked to new and seasoned gardeners who feed their compost less in the ...

The loyal reader knows that compost is my go-to for almost everything. I use it for mulch and to put the soil food web back into soils. I am a compost nerd. The question: What to do in the winter when ...

If you haven’t touched your compost bin or pile all winter, don’t worry, you are not alone. It could be filled with kitchen scraps to the top or left untouched since the fall. Getting a compost pile ...

Turning compost piles provides more air to beneficial microbes, helping to speed up the composting process and creating enough heat to kill weed seeds, pests, and pathogens. Aim to turn a hot compost ...

Compost, the dark, crumbly, earthy-smelling material produced by natural decomposers, provides many benefits to gardeners and non-gardeners alike. Converting garden waste, kitchen scraps and various ...