How Do I Know My Compost Heap Is Working?
I'm turning it every few days, adding brown and green materials, keeping it moist, etc., but how will I know it's turning into compost?
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A compost heap takes time to break down and requires turning on a regular basis to work. I would relax a bit on the turning though. Every three or four weeks will be sufficient. Make sure your heap is at least two feet deep and three is better. Three feet by three feet by three feet is easy enough to remember and quite effective. Make sure your compost heap has carbon-rich materials like fallen leaves or shredded newspaper and nitrogen-rich materials like grass clippings, vegetable leftovers and even water from teh fish tank. Keep the pile moist (not damp or soggy) which may mean watering it whenever it feels dry. You will know it is working when the interior of the heap feels warm to the touch. The heat is a sign that the materials are breaking down and releasing the stored energy in their bonds. You can add worms or soil to the heap as well and this will help.
I don’t think you should keep turning it. Leave it alone for several months, and you’ll know by the look of it that it’s right and ready, I promise.
When it smells . . . .Just right.
Give it time, it will be working. It will be giving off heat, 1st sign of it working.