Winter Composting
You don't have to stop composting just because it's cold outside. Follow these tips and in the spring you'll have a rich soil amendment for your garden:
- In the fall, harvest as much material as you can from your backyard composter. You can save some of the finished compost in a dry place and use it in the spring.
- Approximately 1/5 of your finished compost should be put back into your bin. This will help speed up the decomposition process.
- Set some leaves aside to mix with your organic material. This will ensure that you maintain the proper carbon/nitrogen balance over the winter.
- It's a good idea to shred leaves — the smaller the material the faster it decomposes. Leaves should be placed in a garbage can or other container and closed tightly. Leaves stored in garbage bags can become a nesting area for rodents.
- It's not always easy to access your backyard composter in the winter, so to reduce the number of trips out in the cold, store your food waste in a container and cover it with coffee grounds or soil. This will help reduce odours.
For more information please call Customer Service at 613-546-0000.
