I understand that the AeroBin compost bin does have insulated walls, so that it can help maintain its internal core temperature in winter. Food or compost for thought. Heat level is important in aerobic composting to help maintain the exothermic biological reactions that occur within the compost matter.
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toxcrusadr
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Heat is important, but not essential. Those of us in temperate zones have been composting for years through the winter. When it gets too cold, it slows down or stops. In spring it starts back up. Ma Nature does not need insulation to turn organic waste into compost. She certainly doesn't need a $300 insulated plastic bin. JMHO.
As much as I largely agree with that, also mother nature doesn't store compost in a bin above ground. As soon as one deviates from mother nature, the rules start to change. Air above ground can get cold, however again I agree compost bin insulation is not essential, however could yield better composting performance in cooler climates.
Compost bins, like any other man made thing and all their bells and whistles are for convenience, rather than for emulating mother nature to the letter. For better or worse, we live in a world of human made things, which are an extension of the innate creativity of humans. The value humans place upon such creativity, is a subjective and personal thing.
Compost bins, like any other man made thing and all their bells and whistles are for convenience, rather than for emulating mother nature to the letter. For better or worse, we live in a world of human made things, which are an extension of the innate creativity of humans. The value humans place upon such creativity, is a subjective and personal thing.
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rainbowgardener
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- Location: TN/GA 7b
I'm with tox...
I compost all winter in uninsulated, open-air bin, and all the materials I put in do keep reducing in volume through the winter, through the action of freeze-thaw cycles, etc. Not as fast as in summer, but clearly something is happening. My ground is frozen and nothing is growing, so it is not like I have any use for finished compost right now, anyway.
By the time the ground is unfrozen and I could plant anything, the compost will be unfrozen and there will be finished compost waiting for me.
" I agree compost bin insulation is not essential, however could yield better composting performance in cooler climates. "
Depends on how you define better performance. If you mean faster, or a bit warmer, perhaps (not that it is likely to stay hot in sub-freezing weather, insulated or not). But when I start having a use for finished compost in spring, I will have it and there isn't any quality difference.
I compost all winter in uninsulated, open-air bin, and all the materials I put in do keep reducing in volume through the winter, through the action of freeze-thaw cycles, etc. Not as fast as in summer, but clearly something is happening. My ground is frozen and nothing is growing, so it is not like I have any use for finished compost right now, anyway.
By the time the ground is unfrozen and I could plant anything, the compost will be unfrozen and there will be finished compost waiting for me.
" I agree compost bin insulation is not essential, however could yield better composting performance in cooler climates. "
Depends on how you define better performance. If you mean faster, or a bit warmer, perhaps (not that it is likely to stay hot in sub-freezing weather, insulated or not). But when I start having a use for finished compost in spring, I will have it and there isn't any quality difference.
Maybe when it comes to compost we shold say FREEZING IS BELIEVING which means that there is always activity in any half decent size compost. Just like the grounf only freezws so far down the compost works the same way and is working from the bottom up! On the coldest day lift up a rotten log in the woods and you will see all kinds of live worms under the mini composted log!
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The woods is a huge compost every day! Leaves compost as they insulate! Actually the whole world is a giant compost if you think about it. The result is the original locked up an store heat from the sun makes itself know through the composted reactions!!
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The woods is a huge compost every day! Leaves compost as they insulate! Actually the whole world is a giant compost if you think about it. The result is the original locked up an store heat from the sun makes itself know through the composted reactions!!
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applestar
- Mod
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- Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)
Compost making/compost bin building can be a hobby in and of itself, and I think a lot of enthusiasts have tried many different designs and tending schedules. Different methods yield different results in terms of speed, nutrient levels, micro- and macro- organism activity, perceived "quality", personal satisfaction, etc.
But in my experience, the "best" method -- I.e. what you will continue to use for more or less the rest of your life as part of your routine -- is what suits your lifestyle and philosophy the best, yields results that you are happy with, and what is most comfortable for you -- it's all highly individual.
So read all the replies, and pick what would work best or you. Especially when starting out, you will have many questions and feel anxious about doing things "correctly" but in the end all you can do is listen to and try the different variations until you find what you like. Benefit of this forum is that by reading various members' posts you realize you relate to certain (gardening) lifestyle.
FWIW, I tend to be a "lazy" gardener, and believe in leaving the Cool temp microbes and fungi to do most of the work during winter -- which ties in well with the fact that I can't/don't want to turn the pile much in wintertime since they need to remain undisturbed, and won't bother to provide them with any man-made comfort except what they can get from piled up leaves and separated "flakes" of strawbales and haybales IF I happened to have any on hand -- which I don't this time. I did make a big pile of fallen leaves which I use to cover the kitchen scraps that are casually dumped in a covered black plastic compost bin (dash out, yank open the lid, toss in the scraps, grab double armload of leaves, secure the lid and dash back inside
) . I also put a good portion of the kitchen scraps in the indoor worm bin, and I'll start up a Bokashi bin for what can't go in the wormbin when it gets way too cold to go outside very often. 
Hmm... Not sure where to put this but I also put used paper napkins, paper towels, TP and PT rolls and pulp egg cartons as well as brown paper bags in compost piles and worm bins.
But in my experience, the "best" method -- I.e. what you will continue to use for more or less the rest of your life as part of your routine -- is what suits your lifestyle and philosophy the best, yields results that you are happy with, and what is most comfortable for you -- it's all highly individual.
So read all the replies, and pick what would work best or you. Especially when starting out, you will have many questions and feel anxious about doing things "correctly" but in the end all you can do is listen to and try the different variations until you find what you like. Benefit of this forum is that by reading various members' posts you realize you relate to certain (gardening) lifestyle.
FWIW, I tend to be a "lazy" gardener, and believe in leaving the Cool temp microbes and fungi to do most of the work during winter -- which ties in well with the fact that I can't/don't want to turn the pile much in wintertime since they need to remain undisturbed, and won't bother to provide them with any man-made comfort except what they can get from piled up leaves and separated "flakes" of strawbales and haybales IF I happened to have any on hand -- which I don't this time. I did make a big pile of fallen leaves which I use to cover the kitchen scraps that are casually dumped in a covered black plastic compost bin (dash out, yank open the lid, toss in the scraps, grab double armload of leaves, secure the lid and dash back inside
) . I also put a good portion of the kitchen scraps in the indoor worm bin, and I'll start up a Bokashi bin for what can't go in the wormbin when it gets way too cold to go outside very often. Hmm... Not sure where to put this but I also put used paper napkins, paper towels, TP and PT rolls and pulp egg cartons as well as brown paper bags in compost piles and worm bins.