THE COMPOST TROUBLESHOOTER
Compost
troubleshooter.
Tell us what you notice. Get a short, practical action plan for an ordinary outdoor compost pile, bin or tumbler.
YOUR NEXT STEPS
A few observations.
A useful next step.
Choose your main problem and current conditions, then build your action plan.
These are possible causes, based on your observations. An ordinary cool pile can decompose without ever becoming hot.
Why is my compost not breaking down?
Check the center of the pile before changing your routine. Moisture, air, ingredient balance, particle size and weather can all affect progress. A cool pile is not automatically a failed pile.
The tool adapts its suggestions to your answers: it won’t tell a soggy pile to add more water, and it won’t treat winter cold as proof that your ingredients are wrong.
Further reading: Cornell’s troubleshooting chart, University of Maryland’s home composting guide and Illinois Extension’s winter composting guide.
Read the full slow-compost guide