Gardeners often assume outdoor compost piles stop working in cold weather, but beneficial microbes can continue to break down compost all winter. The problem is that composting takes much longer in ...

The loyal reader knows that compost is my go-to for almost everything. I use it for mulch and to put the soil food web back into soils. I am a compost nerd. The question: What to do in the winter when ...

Composting is an easy way to turn everyday food scraps and yard waste into something useful. Instead of tossing organic material in the trash, you can recycle it into a nutrient-rich soil amendment ...

You may be thinking that I am suggesting that we should all be outside turning and mixing outdoor compost piles, all winter long. On the contrary, my dear reader, as ...

Though some folks are longing for snow, weather services predict a warmer, wetter winter than usual (whatever usual is anymore). Since Washington is still in deep drought, extra rain will be helpful, ...

Turning compost piles provides more air to beneficial microbes, helping to speed up the composting process and creating enough heat to kill weed seeds, pests, and pathogens. Aim to turn a hot compost ...