Winter Composting: Keeping Your System Active in Cold Weather

As winter approaches, many people assume that composting slows down or even stops altogether. The truth? Composting in winter is absolutely possible—you just need to make a few adjustments to keep your compost pile, worm bin, or Bokashi system thriving through the colder months.

Winter composting ensures that your food scraps continue breaking down, providing you with nutrient-rich compost for the next growing season. Plus, by keeping your compost active, you prevent food waste from going to landfills, where it would produce harmful methane gas.

Let’s explore how to keep your compost system alive, warm, and working during winter!

Does Composting Slow Down in Winter?

Yes, decomposition naturally slows down in colder temperatures. The microbes and earthworms responsible for breaking down organic material become less active when temperatures drop. However, with the right conditions, your compost will continue breaking down, just at a slower rate.

By insulating your pile, maintaining a proper balance of materials, and adjusting your composting habits, you can keep composting all winter long!

How to Keep Your Compost Active During Winter

1. Insulate Your Compost Pile to Retain Heat

Think of your compost like a living system that needs warmth to function. The colder it gets, the slower decomposition will be. The solution? Trap heat inside your compost pile.

✅ How to do it:

• Add a thick layer of straw, dry leaves, or cardboard on top to insulate heat.

• Use a compost bin with solid sides to prevent cold winds from cooling the pile.

• If you have an open compost pile, cover it with a tarp to retain warmth and prevent excess moisture.

💡 Pro Tip: The larger your compost pile, the better it retains heat—try to keep it at least 1 cubic meter (1m³) in size!

2. Adjust Your Green-to-Brown Ratio

Winter composting works best when your pile has a good mix of:

🌿 Greens (food scraps, coffee grounds, fresh garden waste) → Provide nitrogen for microbial activity.

🍂 Browns (dry leaves, shredded paper, sawdust) → Absorb moisture and trap heat.

✅ Winter Tip: Since food scraps break down more slowly in winter, add extra browns to prevent your pile from getting soggy or smelly.

💡 Pro Tip: Chop food scraps into smaller pieces before adding them—it helps them break down faster in cold weather!

3. Turn Your Compost Less Frequently

In warm weather, turning compost helps aerate the pile and speed up decomposition. But in winter, turning too often releases heat—so you’ll want to turn it less frequently.

✅ Winter Tip: Instead of turning your compost every week, turn it once a month to keep air circulating without losing too much warmth.

4. Keep Your Compost Moist (But Not Too Wet!)

In winter, compost piles lose moisture more slowly because there’s less evaporation. However, too much moisture from rain or snow can make the pile soggy and stop airflow, which slows down decomposition.

✅ How to do it:

• If your compost looks dry, add water sparingly—it should feel like a wrung-out sponge.

• If it’s too wet, mix in extra brown materials (dry leaves, shredded cardboard) to absorb excess moisture.

• Cover your compost pile to prevent rain or snow from soaking it.

💡 Pro Tip: If you live in a very dry climate, you may need to add moisture occasionally to prevent your compost from drying out completely.

Alternative Winter Composting Methods

If you live in an extremely cold climate, outdoor composting may not be ideal. Instead, consider these indoor-friendly options:

1. Vermicomposting (Indoor Worm Composting) 🪱

Composting with worms is a great winter option because it can be done indoors! Worms thrive at room temperature, so if you keep them inside (like in a garage or under the sink), they’ll continue breaking down food scraps throughout winter.

✅ Best for: Small homes, apartments, or anyone who wants compost faster.

✅ How to do it: Keep a worm bin indoors with red wiggler worms and feed them fruit and veggie scraps.

💡 Tip: Avoid overfeeding in winter—worms eat less when temperatures drop.

2. Bokashi Composting (Fermented Food Waste) 🥡

Bokashi composting doesn’t rely on outdoor temperatures because it uses fermentation instead of traditional decomposition. Since the system is sealed, it’s perfect for indoor use.

✅ Best for: Small spaces and those who want to compost all food scraps, including meat and dairy.

✅ How to do it: Add food scraps to a Bokashi bin, sprinkle Bokashi bran, and let it ferment for 2 weeks. Then, bury the fermented material in soil or mix it with a compost pile.

💡 Tip: The liquid from the Bokashi bin (Bokashi tea) makes a great natural fertilizer for indoor plants!

3. Join a Compost Collection Service

If you don’t want to deal with composting in winter, let someone else do it for you! Many communities (including The Compost Kitchen) offer compost collection services, where your food scraps are picked up and composted professionally.

✅ Best for: People who want to reduce food waste without maintaining a compost pile.

✅ How to do it: Collect your food scraps in a small bin and hand them over to a local composting service!

💡 Tip: This is the easiest way to keep composting in winter without any hassle!

Composting in Winter: Small Changes, Big Impact

Winter doesn’t have to put a stop to composting! Whether you insulate your outdoor compost pile, switch to worm composting, or use a Bokashi bin, there’s always a way to keep reducing food waste year-round.

By keeping your compost active during winter, you’ll have rich, nutritious compost ready for your garden when spring arrives—and you’ll continue making a positive environmental impact.

🌱 Want an easy composting solution this winter? Join The Compost Kitchen and let us compost for you!