Hot and cold compost are opposites in more than name.  Actually, these composting methods are opposites in almost all ways.  So what do they have in common?  They both make compost! Plus, they both have upsides and downsides.  I’ll break down the perks and pitfalls of these very different methods to help you decide whether…

Compost can do some surprising things. Like when it starts to let off steam!  It can be quite an alarming sight. In fact, some people mistake this for smoke and worry that their compost might start a fire! But what exactly is going on? And is this a typical event? Below I’ll explain everything you…

Unfortunately, you can’t just whip up some compost whenever your garden looks out of sorts.  Even in a world where you can get almost anything you want fast (pizza in 15 minutes, anyone?), you still need to wait for decent homemade compost.  There’s a good reason it takes months to make, though. To turn waste…

There seems to be some confusion in the gardening world between “compost” and “humus.” These two terms are used very casually, making some people think that “compost” and “humus” and even “soil” are basically the same kind of thing.  And many garden centers also sell something called “Humus compost.” But what exactly are you getting,…

​If you’ve dabbled with composting for any length of time, you’ve probably realized something by now. Your compost is getting hot. And as it rots, it gets hotter. In fact, depending on the method used, your pile can reach pretty impressive temperatures! But where does all that heat come from? Why does compost get so…

You hear a lot of gardeners expressing concern that their compost isn’t heating up. They will go to great lengths in an attempt to maintain a hot compost pile.  Because “hot composting” is generally accepted as the “fastest” way to compost. So heat energy from the sun can be a valuable contribution to this quest….

Figuring out how much compost you need can be tricky at times.  And to be honest it’s not always fun doing all the calculations yourself.  And because I know you’re a very busy gardener, I’ve created this compost calculator so you can estimate the quantity of lovely organic compost you need for that new shrub! …

Now that you’ve got some fabulous finished compost, can you fathom the different amounts of compost you need for every gardening situation? This can get pretty confusing at times. What if you need to add an inch, two, or four inches? How do you figure out the amount of compost you need? And what if…

Water is one of the four essential ingredients for successful composting.  Enough H2O in a pile will help compost microorganisms break down organic wastes.  The trick is getting the moisture level just right! Too little, and the microorganisms will struggle to work; too much, and they’ll be starved of oxygen. In the following article, I’ll…

​If you’re thinking of lugging around some large quantities of compost, it can be helpful to know how much it’s going to weigh. However, the weight of compost varies according to its moisture content. The wetter the compost, the heavier it becomes. Commercially sold compost has variable levels of moisture depending on the season. Therefore,…