Curious compost heap

Gardening_Punk · August 2020

I’ve had a compost heap going throughout this year. It’s my first go so I’m sure I will have made many mistakes. I’ve tried to keep adding grass clippings, old food (removing meat, dairy etc), and shredded paper/cardboard (although maybe not enough of that.

Ive turned the heap every few weeks but it has never generated anything more than enough heat to be classed as warm.

I’ve just been out now to check and dug a lot of it out on to a sheet. Looking at it it looks dark brown and quite crumbly (maybe slightly wet but certainly not squelchy. Water wouldn’t squeeze out if I picked up a fistful). Now this is how I’d expect it to look and stuff seems to be breaking down ok.

The concern was it was pretty much clap cold. Is this just a lack of grass/brown cardboard? Should I have any issues if it doesn’t heat up as it seems to be doing what it should based on the end result?

Any other tips I should consider? The heap is between 3 pallets and covered with builders bags to keep out most light/water.

Liriodendron · August 2020

I reckon if it looks like compost, feels like compost and smells like compost, it's almost certainly... compost.

If it hasn't got very hot, it may still contain viable weed seeds, but the stuff you've put on the heap will rot down eventually even if it doesn't get particularly hot.

Wilderbeast · August 2020

You'll only get if you can add quite large amounts of material at 1 go, I add 3-4 barrow loads of grass clippings weekly and the heat builds very fast but will die down again after 10days or so without my materials. If you keep turning then I'd expect to get decent compost after year regardless of high temperature or not

Curious compost heap

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