| The word "compost" conjures up a vague picture | | | | Cons of Hot Compost |
| of piles of leaves, sticks and soil, sitting there, | | | | - Requires careful calibration of carbon/nitrogen |
| doing something. There are compost bins, | | | | ratio |
| tumblers, piles, pens, pits and other structures. | | | | - Must be built at one time-less convenient for |
| You can compost in a trash can or a plastic bag. | | | | composting kitchen scraps |
| You can forcibly involve worms, or let organisms | | | | - Is more labor intensive |
| find their own way in. You can do it under your | | | | - Uses up instead of conserving nitrogen |
| sink, in your yard or at your community garden. | | | | Characteristics and Benefits of Cool Compost |
| The biggest difference between different | | | | Cool compost is defined as compost that is less |
| methods of composting is whether the it is | | | | than 113 degrees Fahrenheit in temperature. Cool |
| managed as "Hot" or "Cool." In compost terms, | | | | takes longer to break down, and usually contains |
| these words do not refer to the temperature of | | | | larger bits of materials when it is ready to use. |
| the air outside, but rather the temperature inside | | | | You can add to it gradually, as long as you |
| of the pile. Hot compost heats up to | | | | balance your "green" (high nitrogen) materials like |
| temperatures between 113 and 158 degrees | | | | grass clippings and kitchen scraps, and "brown" |
| Fahrenheit. Cool is, by elimination, cooler than 113 | | | | (high carbon) materials like dried shredded leaves. |
| degrees. | | | | Because you do not have to turn cool compost |
| Characteristics and Benefits of Hot Compost | | | | piles frequently, it is less labor-intensive, and more |
| There are two primary benefits of hot compost. | | | | convenient for gardeners that do not need it |
| The first is that it breaks down quickly, so you | | | | immediately. Another advantage of cool compost |
| can generate usable material in 6-8 weeks, if you | | | | is that it does not heat up to the point where it |
| build the pile correctly. The second is that hot | | | | kills disease fighting micro organisms. |
| compost heats up enough to kill weed seeds, so | | | | Pros of Cool Compost |
| you can compost more of your garden debris. To | | | | - Very low maintenance |
| build a pile that generates and retains enough | | | | - Keeps alive disease-suppressing microbes |
| heat, you need to build a pile that is about 4-5 | | | | - Conserves nitrogen |
| feet square. The inside of the pile will be the | | | | - Allows for materials to added a bit at a time |
| hottest, gradually getting cooler toward the | | | | Cons of Cool Compost |
| outside of the pile. To evenly compost all | | | | - Nutrient loss occurs because the compost is out |
| materials in the pile, the pile must be turned | | | | in the weather |
| periodically, moving more materials from the inside | | | | - Can take up to two years to finish |
| of the pile to the outside, and materials from the | | | | - Does not kill weed seeds and pathogens |
| outside of the pile to the inside where they can | | | | - Must have balanced carbon/nitrogen and wet |
| be broken down. The bacteria that works in the | | | | dry materials |
| pile to break down materials is only active at | | | | - Has larger bits of material left after composting |
| temperatures of 55 degrees or more. | | | | is finished |
| Pros of Hot Compost | | | | Which type of pile is right for you depends upon |
| - Quickly results in finished compost | | | | your space, gardening needs and available time. |
| - Efficient use of space | | | | Both are excellent ways to recycle yard and |
| - Allows gardeners to create fertile soil for new | | | | kitchen waste and produce soil amendments for |
| gardens themselves | | | | the garden. |
| - Mostly kills weed seeds and pathogens. | | | | |