SuburbanHomestead
Full Member
Posts: 32
Joined: Mon Sep 09, 2013 9:33 pm

Hot compost or Cold Compost?

Most of the compost I make ends up not heating up that much (partially from not having enough of the right material around to provide the right balance). Although I've had good piles in the past (when I devoted more time and effort to this) I would like to know if you usually get fast hot compost or slower cold compost, and how it performs in your garden. I made a video about what I've learned about composting over the years and I would like to get more insight into fellow gardener's personal experiences. Here's the video:

imafan26
Mod
Posts: 13962
Joined: Tue Jan 01, 2013 8:32 am
Location: Hawaii, zone 12a 587 ft elev.

I get cold compost. It does take longer than hot compost to make and if you know your pile does not heat up enough, it is important that you put in clean materials since weed seeds and some diseases may persist.

As to performance, if properly made and finished, they work about the same.

User avatar
rainbowgardener
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 25279
Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
Location: TN/GA 7b

I do cold to warmish (not hot) composting, depending on season and materials. It really doesn't matter to the finished product. Cold composting works just fine, just slower. I really don't have much trouble with weeds sprouting from my compost, just volunteer tomato plants pop up where ever I use it and occasional volunteer squash plants.

SuburbanHomestead
Full Member
Posts: 32
Joined: Mon Sep 09, 2013 9:33 pm

thanks for all your answers. I feel like colder compost is what most people end up getting.

imafan26
Mod
Posts: 13962
Joined: Tue Jan 01, 2013 8:32 am
Location: Hawaii, zone 12a 587 ft elev.

Getting a pile to warm up really depends on getting the mixture right

The pile must be a minimum 3x3x3 ft to be big enough to hold in the heat. It has to have the right mix of layered greens and browns, be just wet enough and aerated. If it is done right you can fry an egg in the compost.

The only way I have been able to get a hot pile is to build it completely in a few days. Otherwise the green leaves become browns and if you keep adding to the pile, it does not finish.

Cold compost will grow things. All those squash and watermelon and tomatoes that were thrown in will grow in the pile along with any weed seeds.

I have very persistent weeds, in order for me to make sure they don't sprout in a pile, I have to do bag composting and make sure they are dead with no chance of reanimating.

I don't have a lot of browns so bag composting works for me. It is anaerobic, but I still get compost from it and it heats up better. It makes less than a pail of compost per bag.

rot
Greener Thumb
Posts: 728
Joined: Wed Sep 24, 2008 1:15 am
Location: Ventura County, CA, Sunset 23

..
I've done both. I've seen no difference in performance.

My slow cold piles can acquire an awful lot of worms - especially after the rains. And then if you get mushrooms in the slow cold piles, they can consume feed stock a lot faster. I lined my cold bins with rain soaked wood chips once and 6 months later got the mushrooms. After that I'd get mushrooms 6 months after each new pile in that location. I could feed a 3 x 3 footprint with 18 inches to 2 feet of feed stock each month and it would be reduced by that much by the next month. I did one pile at least two years like that. I'd just top it off each month and it would just keep eating.

https://www.eclectech.co.uk/compostbin.php

..

meshmouse
Senior Member
Posts: 132
Joined: Fri Jul 11, 2014 10:14 am
Location: Long Island NY USA zone7a

SuburbanHomestead -

You have accomplished something in your video that is truely rare. The volume level of the music to the voice level is balanced. Thank you. Truely a lost art.

Your information seemed clear and (as far as I know) correct. Your presentation was good and the production values, above average.

So, for the first time ever, I took a thermometer to my pile. I turned it about a week ago. It was then about 4 1/2 ft tall, about the same around. It's now about 3 to 3 1/2 ft hi.

The ambient temp was 80 F. The reading at about 5 inches from the top was 108 F. The reading at 14 inches was 137 F. I don't know if that is considered hot or not, but it is definitely warm.

I've been doing my best to balance green/brown, wet/dry, soft/crunchy - whatever you want to call it.

RBG -

I totally agree. Hot, cold or warm - all works - eventually. And eventually ain't that long.

Last years (cooler) compost dressing this years garden gave profuse tomato volunteers. I allowed the strongest to grow and they are producing quite well (I only wish I knew what they were). But I know they are good.

Ahhh, imafan. Finally a more appropriate place to ask you this question (think 'One Acre of Grass to Farm' thread - to paraphrase).

You had mentioned then as well as here that you 'bag compost'. I, too have persistant weeds. English Ivy (creeping charlie), grape vines, raspberry, pachysandra and a whole host of devils I can not name.

Currently, I trash them. I know, shame, shame.

So, how can I 'bag compost' them and be sure their residue will not spread further from seed or (more importantly) root in my applied compost? I would assume a black plastic garbage bag full left in the sun. Is that right? How do you know it's really 'dead'?

Thanks for any insight you can give me.

And thanks to everyone for a wonderful thread.



Return to “Composting Forum”