Want to know the biggest mistake gardeners often make when it comes to starting their fall compost pile?
Starting a compost pile in the fall is one of the best things you can do to create rich, fertile compost for your garden. All of those falling leaves, end-of-season garden plants, and yard waste can become valuable organic matter that helps your soil come alive again next year.
But while many gardeners know composting is good, one of the biggest mistakes they make when starting a new fall pile is forgetting to give it the “kick-start” it needs.
A compost pile can only work as fast as the microbes inside it. The tiny organisms are the ones that actually break down the leaves, grass, and garden debris into usable compost. Without them, a pile of organic material will just sit and rot slowly over time. And in the process, take years instead of months to become usable soil!
The Biggest Mistake Gardeners Make When Starting A Fall Compost Pile
Why Using A Compost Starter Is A Must
A compost starter is simply a way to introduce life into your new pile. You can do this in a couple of ways.
One of the easiest and most effective is to use a little bit of finished or half-finished compost from an older pile. Even just a few shovels of material are loaded with billions of active microbes ready to go to work. When mixed into your new pile, they immediately start breaking things down.
If you don’t have any old compost on hand, it’s best to purchase a compost starter activator. These products contain dried microbes and nutrients that wake up as soon as you add them to your pile. They are designed to get a pile working quickly, especially when you are starting fresh in the fall with mostly dry leaves and dead plants. Affiliate Link: Roebic CA-1 Bacterial Compost Accelerator / Starter
Speeding Up Composting
The difference between a pile that has a starter and one that does not is huge. A pile with a starter can heat up and begin breaking down within days, while one without can sit for months before it really gets going. And in the cooler temperatures of fall and early winter, that time can be even longer.
The simple fact of the matter is – without giving your pile a boost of bacteria and organisms from the start, it has to make it’s own – and that can take forever! Whatever you do, give your pile the start it needs to get it off on the right foot. Once you do – there are then a few other additional things you can do to help speed it all up too – and that starts with shredding all the materials that go in it!
The Mistake Of Not Shredding A Fall Compost Pile
Another common mistake many gardeners make when building a fall compost pile is not shredding up the ingredients. Large, whole leaves or thick garden stems can take a long time to decompose on their own.
The smaller the pieces, the more surface area there is for microbes to work on, and the faster the pile can heat up. Running leaves through a mower before adding them to your pile is one of the easiest ways to shred them quickly.
You can also use a leaf shredder or even a string trimmer inside a trash can to chop them down. The same goes for garden plants. Always cut them into smaller pieces before tossing them on the pile.
When you shred your ingredients, you not only speed up the composting process but also create a pile that holds together better. Small particles pack more evenly, which helps keep the moisture and air balanced inside the pile. That balance is what keeps the microbes active and working hard.
Moisture Makes A Difference
Fall is often a dry season. With cooler weather and less rain, the materials you add to your compost pile can be drier than normal. Dry leaves, straw, or garden plants without much water in their stems can all make a pile too dry. And when a compost pile is too dry, microbes cannot survive and multiply.
That is why it is important not to make the mistake of failing to add a bit of moisture as you build your fall compost pile. The goal is to keep the materials as damp as a wrung-out sponge. Not soggy, but not brittle dry either. If you squeeze a handful of material and it feels lightly moist, that is just about perfect.
You can add moisture with a garden hose as you layer in the materials. Spray lightly as you go, and keep checking to make sure the water is reaching more than just the surface. If your pile dries out later, don’t be afraid to water it again. Keeping steady moisture is key to keeping microbes alive and working.
Turning The Pile
Even when you use a starter, shred the materials, and add the right amount of water, your compost pile still needs one more thing to work fast – oxygen. The microbes that break down organic matter are living organisms, and just like us, they need air to survive.
When a compost pile is first built, the air inside the spaces between the shredded leaves and plants is enough for the microbes to get started. But as the pile breaks down and settles, it becomes compacted. Without air, the pile can start to smell bad and slow down to a crawl.
Turning the pile solves this problem. By mixing and flipping the materials, you add fresh oxygen to the center. Turning also helps even out moisture levels and brings new material into the hot core where it can decompose faster.
The more often you turn your pile, the faster it will finish. A pile that is turned every week can become usable compost in just a few months, while one that sits untouched may take a year or more. In the fall, even turning it once every two weeks can make a big difference.
Here is to avoiding the biggest mistake with a fall compost pile – and having great compost ready to go next spring! Happy Gardening, Jim & Mary.
Old World Garden Farms
Jim and Mary Competti have been writing gardening, DIY and recipe articles and books for over 15 years from their 46 acre Ohio farm. The two are frequent speakers on all things gardening and love to travel in their spare time.
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