Hot Composting

Hot composting needs more attention then cold composting but it gets you much quicker results. The compost pile is getting heated when there is a massive bacteria activity in the pile. These piles create the best condition to bacteria activity when high- carbon material and high-nitrogen material are mixed in a 1 to 1 ratio.
A pile with the minimum dimensions of 3' x 3' x 3' is needed for efficient compost heating. For best heating, make a heap that is 4 or 5 feet in each dimension. As decomposition occurs, the pile will shrink. If you don't have this amount at one time, simply stockpile your materials until a sufficient quantity is available for proper mixing.
Hot piles can reach 110 to 160 degrees Fahrenheit!, therefore killing most weed seeds and plant diseases. The downside of hot composting is that at these temperatures it has less ability to suppress diseases in the soil since these temperatures may kill some of the beneficial bacteria necessary to suppress disease.

Steps for hot composting:

1. Choose a level,well-drained site, preferably near your garden.

2.There are numerous styles of compost bins available depending on your needs. These may be as simple as a moveable bin formed by wire mesh or a more substantial structure consisting of several compartments. There are many commercially available bins. While a bin will help contain the pile, it is not absolutely necessary. You can build your pile directly on the ground. To help with aeration, you may want to place some woody material on the ground where you will build your pile.

3.To build your pile, either use alternating layers of high-carbon and high-nitrogen material or mix the two together and then heap into a pile. If you alternate layers, make each layer 2 to 4 inches thick. Some composters find that mixing the two together is more effective than layering. Use approximately equal amounts of each. If you are low on high-nitrogen material, you can add a small commercial fertilizer containing nitrogen. Apply at a rate of 1⁄2 cup of fertilizer for each 10-inch layer of material. Adding a few shovels of soil will also help get the pile off to a good start; soil adds commonly found decomposing organisms.

4.Water periodically. The pile should be moist but not saturated. If conditions are too wet, anaerobic microorganisms (those that can live without oxygen) will continue the process. These are not as effective or as desirable as the aerobic organisms. Bad odors are also more likely if the pile is saturated.

5. Punch holes in the sides of the pile for aeration.

6.The pile will heat up and then begin to cool. Start turning when the pile’s internal temperature peaks at about 130 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit. You can track this with a compost thermometer, or reach into the pile to determine if it is uncomfortably hot to the touch.

7. During the composting season, check your bin regularly to assure optimum moisture and aeration are present in the material being composted.

8. Move materials from the center to the outside and vice versa. Turn every day or two and you should get compost in less than 4 weeks. Turning every other week will make compost in 1 to 3 months. Finished compost will smell sweet and be cool and crumbly to the touch.