How To Compost In Winter

[@crazidirtbiker]

You have hands down the best composting videos on KZbin. I watched your other video I think maybe 2 years ago when I first got into composting. I always referred back to that video any time I got confused and watched it multiple times through during my beginning stages of learning. I’ve came along way since then and just wanna say thank you. All these years later I came back to the composting community on KZbin to see some winter tips and who do I see but my favorite compost guy lol. You can imagine how excited I was to watch this. Out of all the videos on KZbin yours always just made the most sense and helped more then others. I don’t think I’d be as good at composting as I am without your content. Its Always a pleasure thanks again.

[@growitbuildit]

THANK YOU! I really appreciate it!

[@TEPO--]

Agreed and much appreciated❄️

[@denisaugustine4478]

I made it to the end and enjoyed watching. Great video. This is the first winter I’m composting. I live in Canada , and built 3 piles in the month of November. Mostly leaves, shredded paper, saw dust and planer chips mixed with kitchen scraps , pumpkins and coffee grounds as you say. There was in the first pile several plants and garden clean up also. It’s freezing temps for the last week , but the piles were off to a good start and had built up to core temps of 140 degrees F . I find different opinions on turning winter piles but I’m looking forward to trying to keep it actively going. The 3 piles I have total in volume of approximately 4.5 cubic yards in my large composting bins made of scrap plywood and T posts. I plan on turning and making it into at least 2 piles having already acquired 60 gallons of coffee grounds and 20 gallons of pumpkins so look forward to finished compost by spring. Thanks for sharing your experience and the good info.

[@dtedder4]

Made it to the end. Great tips for the winter composting. Thanks

[@growitbuildit]

@dtedder4 you're very welcome. Good luck!

[@victoriagolmehdi8506]

Thrilled to see this because, as I watch this, the pile of pumpkins that have arrived on my drive is growing. I put out a notice on the local face book page and people are only too happy to have somewhere other than the household waste. I also get the coffee grounds and spent hops from the local brewery. When I have the chance I gather seaweed from the beach after a storm and this is a welcome addition to the pile. Love composting, it is a kind of alchemy and also nurtures my maternal sense as I feed the earth and make it happy!

[@growitbuildit]

Wow - you are on top of it Victoria! You are going to make one seriously hot pile. Nice work!

[@Elense957]

Thank you for not playing loud music, not beating around the bush for the first 10 minutes, talking about what you plan to talk about in the video. Right to the point, very appreciated!!

[@growitbuildit]

You are very welcome - good luck with your compost this winter

[@adriansun2999]

Thank you for saying that.

[@marybk882]

Made it to the end. I compost all winter too, zone 4b, but we toss our material in a tall (thigh high) garden box. We don't turn. It warms up enough in the spring to thaw and decompose almost completely before it's warm enough to plant anything in the spring.

[@DCEventphoto]

Share a photo

[@mrf5347]

@@DCEventphoto Yes Please, a picture of the box build

[@growitbuildit]

Sounds like you've got a good system Mary. Do you just toss kitchen scraps all Winter? Or add other ingredients too?

[@marybk882]

@@growitbuildit it's mostly kitchen scraps but until freeze up we layer in fallen leaves that we have been collecting. This year I scored dozens of bags of plant debris and old potting soil from an apartment complex that I'm going to layer in too. I have 10 boxes, approx 3ft x 6ft, so I have a lot to keep filled!

[@growitbuildit]

Wow! That's a lot of boxes

[@the_green_anna]

I don't know how many times i have watched this video now... Never get tired of it! 💚 Please give us more composting and mulching videos. You do an excellent job. 👌

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you Anna. I will make more videos on composting. It just takes me a long time! But I've got a couple ideas for new ones. I just want to make sure I'm adding some new information, or covering a new aspect.

[@christijones7814]

Thanks for making this video. I did watch to the end! I’m in the northeast mountains of AZ and we do get cold snowy winters here. Growing zone 6b.

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you - glad I was able to help you!

[@Loyal2law]

Coming from your first compost tutorial, this is a huge help! Made it to the end, and what a beautiful compost! Will be asking for pumpkins now from on for this winter!

[@growitbuildit]

Pumpkins are amazing - glad to hear you are having success with your tumbler. I've really found that kitchen scraps - in particularly fleshy fruits and vegetables break down the fastest of anything.

[@lanettelawrence6308]

You are a great teacher of the garden.

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you Very Much Lanette! Glad you are finding my videos helpful!

[@ctraugh2005]

Made it to the end of the video. Very informative, and I love that you took the time to document many months of composting and not just tell us how to do it. The results are awesome. Thank you.

[@growitbuildit]

You are very welcome - and I'm very glad you found it helpful. Good luck this winter!

[@amyberg1413]

Love this! Funny how I can get so excited about watching compost videos! It helps me get through the cold weather. I actually fall asleep sometimes thinking about my warm compost decomposing! I have been trench composting for years, I used to have a huge compost pile but it got too big to manage. I just bought a Subpod and am happy so far with how it is working. I live in NY and just started it 2 weeks ago. Who knew I'd be digging in my garden in January in NY? Tomorrow I will be heading to Starbucks, not for a lousy, overpriced cup of coffee! I have been adding my own grinds for years and always wondered if it was helpful. I figure the worms got a caffeine boost when they get into them. Pumpkins, who knew, I could enjoy the machete part! My husband has a couple of those infrared thermometers in the garage, another great tip! Thanks so much for the info!

[@growitbuildit]

That is excellent- I'm glad I could help you out. And I'm very happy I gave you new ideas for resources

[@growitbuildit]

That is excellent- I'm glad I could help you out. And I'm very happy I gave you new ideas for resources

[@piccadillypie]

Thanks for the foresight and consistency you put into this video. Really appreciate it as another cold winter gardener/composter.

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you Kevin - that means a lot. This video was a long time coming. I just wanted to make sure I got out before Halloween so everyone could ask their neighbors for the pumpkins!

[@benkyleryan]

Thanks from CO

[@growitbuildit]

@Carol Avery you are welcome

[@Gkrissy]

This is a game changer video. Now I realize that my winter compost pile wasn't big enough. Thanks for the content, I will be headed to starbucks in the morning.

[@growitbuildit]

Excellent Krystal - I'm glad I could help you out. Good luck!

[@MsHollister6]

This was an amazing video with so much info. I’m also in PA zone 6 and I really needed to see that I’m doing ok with my composting after just 1 year. Thank you for your time and energy making this video so we can all learn. 💜

[@growitbuildit]

You are very welcome Ms. Hollister. Good luck this Winter, and composting will just kind of become a way of life for you!

[@ammiedoering4205]

Thank you for showing the pile construction.

[@growitbuildit]

You are very welcome - good luck starting your pile!

[@henrymetcalf5407]

I watched your video all the way through and it has been so helpful!! I am just starting out and I had no idea of what to do during winter!! This is amazing!! Thank you for making this!!

[@growitbuildit]

You are very welcome Henry - I'm glad I could help you out. Good luck this Winter!

[@susangautier787]

Your technique is great and has encouraged us to try it! Yes we watched all the way to the end. I like how fast you present the info. No time hemming and hawing around! Zone 7b here, ready to give your technique a try.

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you Susan! Good luck this Winter. Just remember - be aggressive with gathering materials!

[@kimsingleton5182]

This is an outstanding video! I have been struggling with composting for 2 years here in NC and am excited to try this over the winter. Your details in the video and on your website are fantastic. Love the extensive list of materials to use.

[@growitbuildit]

You are very welcome Kim! I'm glad I could help you out. It's amazing how many free resources are out there for composting!

[@jackievicente6601]

Thanks my garden interns will love this video!

[@growitbuildit]

You're welcome Jackie. Who are your 'interns'?

[@rmcnally3645]

Made it to the end!! Thank you for taking time to com-PILE (😅) this from last year for THIS year's content! I'm in a much warmer state but this gives me a great starting point for winter work! ✌🏻

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you! I'm very happy you enjoyed it and I am very happy that you can see the amount of film/time/ and editing to put this one together - it was a doozy. I wasn't sure if people would find the appendix valuable or not, but it appears that everyone is - so that makes it worth it. Good luck on your piles!

[@dogslobbergardens6606]

@@growitbuildit I appreciate your foresight on this and other topics. It's much more helpful when viewers can see whole processes from start to finish in a 15- or 30- minute session, rather than waiting for months, or having to find and wade through several different videos. Keep up the good work!

[@trumpetingangel]

I left a comment a year ago. I moved into my new house in December, and never got the compost heated up very hot. However, by spring it was partially-finished and just fine for filling the bottom of my new raised beds! I'm back to review this video and get a refresher. I have a large compost pile that hasn't begun heating up yet (it's mostly leaves, prunings, yard waste, and kitchen scraps). I'm adding urine and will hit the coffee shops! Thanks for your always-helpful videos. This one is literally reference material for me in the fall!

[@growitbuildit]

You are very welcome! Get aggressive with coffee grounds! Green material is the key to keeping it going.

[@patriciasummers8881]

Hey Joe. I eagerly watched to the very end to see the beautiful compost every step of the way. An analytical person like myself needs detail and you so nicely provided that! Thank you for all your effort and your obvious love of natural gardening. I was very encouraged regarding the coffee grounds from starbucks and the manure for the green as I keep chickens and always have plenty of nitrogen (green)! All I need to do is pick my spot and I plan to get started tomorrow with some yard leaves and chicken manure, as I have plenty of both at the present. And I may be able to score some old rotted pumpkins from some local farms. And I have a machete!!! I bought it on ebay to use to hack overgrown blackberry vines and other brush and it will be perfect! Thank you again!

[@growitbuildit]

That sounds excellent Patricia. You've got the greens, which can be challenging in Winter. Thank you for the kind words,and I'm glad you appreciated all the details. I wasn't sure if people would want the appendix or not, but from what I'm hearing it proved valuable to many. Good luck this Winter!

[@johnb5482]

Yes. I made it to the end. This is good stuff and I like your voice-over style. I live in Colorado so this information will be most helpful.

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you John. Hope you are able to keep a pile going this Winter in CO.

[@maciannm]

I made it to the end and am so glad that you showed all your hard work. It gave me some good ideas for keeping my pile hot all winter long and sourcing greens!

[@growitbuildit]

Excellent Anne - I'm glad you found the appendix helpful! Good luck this Winter on your pile!

[@mnp5404]

All the way to the end: twice! Wow. Thank you!

[@growitbuildit]

Twice!?! Thank you! I'm glad you are enjoying it.

[@caradyer8136]

Thank you for your videos!They are very helpful for a me as a new composter. I managed to get three smaller piles finished over the summer and used them to top dress my garden! I was just wondering if I could continue over the winter here in Michigan. Since I started this spring with the help of your beginner video, I just can’t stand throwing away things I know I could compost! Loved the tips on the pumpkins (I was wondering about those), collecting coffee grounds and the five gallon buckets outside. Thanks again, ~A Happy Composter

[@MrV3nendetti]

I’m in Michigan also and I’ve been wanting to start a fall/winter compost for next spring. What area of the state are you in?

[@growitbuildit]

That is awesome Kara - glad to here you've been doing well & making some compost. Good luck this Winter & I hope you can get a lot of pumpkins!

[@chrisblack5795]

I had no idea Starbucks gave grounds away...so hard to obtain them from Kwik Trip...I tried and got so much pushback...I called Starbucks and they will save me some!!!! I have already started my bed..its filled with leaves from the lead vacuum and all kitchen scraps from my fall harvest production...they break down very fast. I have been collecting much green and brown material for ongoing composting already. This is one of the very best videos I have seen on this topic!

[@growitbuildit]

You are very welcome Chris - and thank you so much for the kind words! Sounds like you've got a good jump on the situation!

[@robertrutherford8874]

Yeah! Made it to the end! Very informative! I’m trying this for the first time. Very happy to have found this!

[@growitbuildit]

Excellent Robert - good luck this Winter!

[@Cathy_MidwestHome_Hens]

Thanks for this. We’ve been dumping our grass and other yard waste in a pile for years but never truly “compositing”but now that my yard is a monarch butterfly waystation, I want to properly compost to maintain my pollinator gardens. Im in SE Nebraska zone 5. Love the Starbucks tip!!!!! We have 21 hens so we have lots of pine shavings and poop!! Didn’t know about the special treatment needed for it though so that’s good to know

[@growitbuildit]

Hello! The chicken manure might (or often, I'm not sure) contain Salmonella and other pathogens. So, if you aren't using the compost on your food crops you might be fine. Otherwise, the USDA has guidelines on how hot the compost needs to get to kill it, or how early you should apply it so that any pathogen is starved.

[@kimberlyhughes4515]

Feb. 16, 2023-turning my winter compost tomorrow, adding to it. Watched to the end. Thank you for sharing! Zone 6b.

[@growitbuildit]

Excellent Kimberly - Glad to hear it!

[@Guitarzan8]

I made it to the end. I have 2 piles made with pallets here at my home in Minnesota. I have a new drive thru coffee shop open near my home. I’m going to hit them up from now on. Thanks for the ideas!

[@growitbuildit]

Excellent Zan. I hope you're able to score some grounds

[@bridgetdoyle5820]

Thank you made it to the end ! Super informative.

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you - I'm glad you found it helpful!

[@afrocraft1]

Superb content and production. Thanks for what you do.

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you afrocraft! I appreciate the kind words.

[@TEPO--]

Hi I so appreciated your information and approaches, certainly such a commitment. Love it. I live in zone six also, yet at near 7000' elevation. I'm going to continue my current pile as far into winter as possible for now. Being that we had nearly 50' of snowfall last winter, theres only so many hours in the day😉 Your experience and wisdom are very helpful and encouraging for wintwrs with less snowfall. If and when we reach the point of too much snow to tend a pile, I will store kitchen scraps as you said they can remain stable untill Spring when I can properly utilize them. My garden and I appreciate you, thank you from the Sierra Neavada as Winter is surely approaching.....

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you Tarapoe! I'm glad I could help you out. You definitely have some challenges at 7000' that I don't have at my measly 900'! The Sierra Nevada are beautiful mountains - you live in a beautiful part of the country.

[@gidgetsurfs5399]

Enjoyed your video, easy to follow!

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you! I'm glad it was clear.

[@ericthielking4616]

Thank you very much for that. Good to know about the temp being a cleanser. Keeping my eye out for stray pumpkins. Thank you again.

[@growitbuildit]

You are welcome Eric - good luck this Winter!

[@owenmartin2014]

Awesome video! Made it to the end. You have great structure to your videos so it is dead easy to follow along. Much appreciated!

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you Owen! I'm very happy you enjoyed it and appreciate the kind words. I like to keep them structured and well ordered, as sometimes it's easy to get lost on complicated topics.

[@lincwayne3435]

Made it all the way to the end! Thank you soo much - I needed this 🙏

[@growitbuildit]

You are very welcome - good luck starting your winter pile!

[@carlswinford1095]

I made it to the end🎉

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you Carl! I wasn't sure if the 'video appendix' would be valuable to people.

[@LittleGardenSK]

Winter and Snow have arrived here in zone 3 Saskatchewan! We keep adding to the compost pile all winter long and appreciate all your great tips. Subscribed!

[@growitbuildit]

Excellent - good luck in zone 3! You've got a much larger challenge than I do!

[@888ettio]

Thank you for including temperatures in Celsius! I’ll try that in eastern Quebec this winter

[@growitbuildit]

You are quite welcome - good luck this winter!

[@benjaminswanson9092]

I made it to the end of the video twice. Great information as always, I built my pile for this winter in MN. Thanks for the great video.

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you Benjamin! Minnesota winters will definitely be a challenge! Hopefully you can keep the center warm all Winter. Would love to hear how it goes.

[@TheDillio187]

I'm in MN too, and contemplating it. But damn, when it's -15 or colder it's not so fun to be outside!

[@fanjiang9317]

I followed your advice by collecting pumpkins from the neighbors. This year I found another resource, the brewing company waste products, oaks and parsleys. I mixed up with leaves. It can heat up the compost pile to 130 degrees and keep hot for 2 weeks in December. I added new material once. And turn two more times. I will leave it until spring. I made 12 piles this year. I put them in 8 35 gallon containers to mature. Love composting.

[@growitbuildit]

Wow - that is a nice source of greens.

[@sherrijones3279]

Great and very informative! Yes I watched the whole thing and plan on watching it again in the future to keep information fresh.

[@growitbuildit]

Excellent - I'm glad I could help you out!

[@robinanderson8211]

Thanks for the video. I never thought of maintaining a compost pile in the winter, located in southern MN, zone 4.

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you Robin - I'm glad you enjoyed it. You are in a much more challenging zone for Winter Composting! I would be curious if you could do it, or for how long you were able to keep an active pile going up there.

[@lucky282010]

I live in the Zuni mountains in west central New Mexico and I know I'm late to making compost for winter but this video was so helpful and we'll informative thank you so much and I hope I can make enough compost for next year's crop. Thank you again

[@growitbuildit]

You are very welcome sir - I'm glad I could help you out. And, good luck getting started!

[@FatherFigure1776]

Made it to the end. Great documentation.

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you - I'm very happy you found it helpful.

[@EDLaw-wo5it]

Thanks for the information. New gardener here and have 2 3 ft. Piles going I will combine them to help with the winter cold problem. Your info is sure to help. Y’all havagudun.

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you E.D. - Good luck this Winter!

[@bearrivermama6414]

This is great. I’m in zone 3 in Minnesota on the Canadian border. I am not nearly as ambitious as you😂. When it’s -45* F outside, I’m just fine letting my piles freeze and exercising my patience as opposed to my pile turning skills 😂😂😂. That said, I’ve always been curious if I tried if I could keep them going all winter. I end up with more compost than I can use already but this answers some questions I had without me having to dedicate the time and effort into the experiment. Thank you for not only the time and effort you invested but taking the additional time to document, research, and compile the data for us less ambitious folks😉. Your attention to detail is admirable!

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you Ms. Bear River! At minus 45 I believe I would be happy to stay inside as well. I'm glad I could answer some of your questions, and perhaps you will meet a gardener some day who will wonder if they can maintain a hot pile in Winter - you will be able to tell them with confidence that they can.

[@karenfrankland7763]

I love watching your composting videos. We do almost the same using 4 four foot by four foot bins. The only difference is we do have manure from ducks, chickens, quail and a pet rabbit. Our heaps stay pretty hot throughout the winter. We collect hundreds of bags of leaves as well as all our boxes and paper to add to the piles. We just started seeing pumpkins and spent plants thrown to the curb and have been collecting those as well. In the winter we do puree are kitchen scraps and put in a five gallon bucket. It just saves us space and easy to pour into the center of the piles on those cold days. We also compost all bones and egg shells as well. Bones are so cooked to a soft consistency when we make broth that they break down. Will have to check out a few Starbucks in the area for grounds. We have like six of them in our area.

[@growitbuildit]

Sounds like you've got a great system going. We make bone broth infrequently, but never used the left over bones in a pile. Although I have thrown the odd chicken leg bone in there periodically.

[@nickthorne5872]

Totally made it to the end of the video. This is amazing. Great job!

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you Nick! I'm glad you found it interesting.

[@4babyhael]

Made it to the end 😊 very informative. I love everything about composting

[@growitbuildit]

I love composting too (in case you couldn't tell)

[@cmburns2606]

Watched the whole video. Extremely informative, thank you!

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you! I'm very happy I could help you out. Good luck starting your winter pile!

[@dogslobbergardens6606]

This is a great example of how composting doesn't have to be "perfect" to be worthwhile. Sometimes people make it wayyyy too complicated, with lots of hand-wringing and precise ratios, in an attempt to get compost as fast as possible... and I think that actually discourages a lot of folks. You've shown that even if the piles don't break down superfast - or hardly at all - at the very least, you're still getting an excellent head start for spring when the temperatures warm up. Thank you for taking the time to make this video, it will encourage and help a lot of people. 🙂 Yes I did make it to the end. And BTW I lived for many years in WI where it stays far below freezing for weeks, sometimes months at a time - I can attest that even in those conditions this sort of composting over-winter is still worthwhile. The worst that can happen is it will just stop and start up again when it warms up a little and you turn it. No problem.

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you so much for the kind words! I completely agree that composting is more of an art than a science, and you just need to go with what you've got and adjust along the way. And I 100% agree with your statement at the end that the worst that can happen is that you just accumulate plenty of material for Spring, or when it does manage to thaw out you will have a great start.

[@dogslobbergardens6606]

@@growitbuildit you're welcome, and thank you again. I was especially pleased to see your success with discarded pumpkins as "green" material. What a fantastic free resource! There are several businesses in our small town that have big displays of pumpkins right now - I'm definitely going to offer to pick those up for them before they get yucky, and save them the trouble.

[@growitbuildit]

Make sure you get your pile hot to kill off some seeds. I did have some germination in my compost after spreading it. But not a ton. But heat n turning will kill them

[@dogslobbergardens6606]

@@growitbuildit good point!

[@dianamengel8011]

I live near Pittsburgh and this video is very informative

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you Diana - glad you found it helpful

[@saundragreer8344]

Made it to the end! Thx for for the easy to follow info. Started my first compost pile this fall in anticipation of having a raised bed garden in the spring. You answered a lot of questions I needed to know the answers to. I am so excited to start my first gardening experience.Thx so much,

[@growitbuildit]

Excellent Saundra - I'm glad you found it helpful. Good luck on your pile and your new garden this Spring!

[@cherylpadgett6661]

I learned so much and I absolutely watched to the end. Thanx

[@growitbuildit]

Excellent - I'm very happy I could help you out. Good luck Cheryl!

[@tarawatterson4188]

Pumpkins and coffee grounds sound like great leads. Will see what I can scrounge up!

[@growitbuildit]

They are excellent additions to any pile Tara - good luck!

[@DJ-lp6bh]

I made it to the end and I loved it. This was great.

[@growitbuildit]

Cool - I'm glad you liked it DJ

[@judyrobertson5564]

I made it to the end of this documentary ha ha great job I too am messing with my compost pile and still experimenting a little degree anyways, you did a great job on this. Thanks for sharing gave me a few more ideas. God bless you and yours

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you Judy - good luck getting your pile going this Winter!

[@innerpiecepeace5030]

yes, i listened to and watched the whole video and got Alot of new good tips i will follow through on. Making Soil is a priority, i don't generate enough materials on my own, so your collection from others ideas will be a big help to my succeeding in generating the quantity of soil my garden needs. Much Appreciate, look forward to tuning into more of your videos~

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you - I'm very glad I could help you out!

[@donnas3148]

I always watch your videos to the end. They are so informative. I chuckled over the urine but seriously will look into the coffee as we do not add garbage to our compost pile. Being in the middle of the city we have a rat issue that we do not want to tempt.

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you Donna! The coffee makes it possible for me to keep my pile hot all Winter. And if nothing else, if is free fertility even if you don't gather enough to make it hot, as it all breaks down in the end..

[@GeriatricWoodturner]

Very interesting. I made it to the end. I live in Minnesota. I might give it a try if I can get some greens. I have a friend who sells pumpkins. I might ask her for leftovers next year. Thank you for your service.

[@growitbuildit]

Very good Papa - I hope you can get a hold of enough green material. I am very aggressive trying to get it

[@ronelsmith6906]

Just found your channel and did watch to the end thank you for all the valuable info.

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you - I'm glad you found it helpful

[@djsllh]

I watched the entire video and it wasn't difficult because yours very informative, thanks. Bonus during winter is less bugs around the compost.

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you DS - I'm really glad you enjoyed it. And you are 💯 right about the lack of bugs. It's actually really peaceful in the winter silence

[@spir5102]

After watching your video the first time, I went to my local yard waste recycling center and found about 12 large pumpkins. I hadn't thought of using them before, but I crammed them all into my van along with all the leaves I could gather and brought them home. Your video is very motivating, well constructed, and well edited. We're having a pretty warm week here so I'm going to go out this week and start making compost piles. I watched your video a second time, to get the details right. It's amazing how excited a person can get about composting. Thank you for all the effort you put into these videos. Happy composting.

[@growitbuildit]

Sounds like you've got a good start for a winter pile. Keep gathering those materials, and good luck this Winter!

[@fayepreuss5180]

I love your videos. They are super detailed and very informative

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you! I try to pack them full of useful/helpful information.

[@ronettereisenburg8725]

Great video. Thanks from Colorado

[@growitbuildit]

You are very welcome Ronette!

[@carlafawcett6494]

This was great!! Last winter, I put one of those black plastic compost bins in the middle of a garden box. I fed it food scraps and shredded paper etc. all winter. It gets cold here where I am -28 for several weeks. My pile froze, but in the spring did it ever break down in a hurry ! I felt I was ahead of the game. I had loads to spread on my gardens when it was time to plant : ) I am for sure doing this again this winter !

[@carlafawcett6494]

Yes I watched the whole video. What about worms? Are there many or is it too hot in there ?

[@growitbuildit]

Hi Carla - Sounds like you have gotten some good results despite your extreme cold. When a pile is hot, there will be no worms around. And in the winter, they all seem to be underground. It isn't until Spring when you may start seeing them.

[@cliffordpayne4795]

Oh yea, I watched the whole video! You done a wonderful job! 👍

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you - good luck starting your pile this winter!

[@Cici1791]

Made it to the end twice; love the video. I compost in winter in -30 temps (Québec), but in closed bins to safeguard against vermin. Finish the process using a large wire bin outdoors in the spring ;-)

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you Cici! Wow - you've got some serious challenges I don't have at -30!

[@jilliandavidson2838]

I made it to the end as well. Very well done!

[@growitbuildit]

Excellent - I'm glad you enjoyed it Jill. And thank you for the kind words - good luck!

[@Crime-Politics]

Regarding urine for the pile, if you use wood pellets (saw dust) or wood shavings in your cat's litter box, you have that part covered (naturally removing the poop to avoid bacteria). Putting that on top of a large pile of green waste, it reduces it to half the size in a day. Plenty shelter cats who'd be willing to do the work :) Thank you for the video.

[@growitbuildit]

Hi - I'm wary of using any cat or dog waste. They sometimes carry parasites that can be tough to kill (165F). I have trouble reaching those temps.

[@tessloneill7978]

Thanks for going to great detail with topic.

[@growitbuildit]

You are very welcome Tessloneill. I'm happy you enjoyed it.

[@billharris9763]

made it to the end, thanks for the very helpful tutorial.

[@growitbuildit]

Excellent - I'm glad you enjoyed it Bill

[@diannaelbrader1282]

Thank you !!! I have way more confidence moving forward

[@growitbuildit]

You are very welcome Dianna - good luck!

[@northerngail0385]

What an eye opener this has been. I though I knew how to compost but I've been doing it all wrong.

[@growitbuildit]

I'm glad I could help you. Really there is not 'wrong' way to compost, as long as you are just piling up organic matter to break down. There are just different methods that work faster than others. Everything becomes compost given enough time.

[@StevesSpot]

Pumpkins and grounds. Thank you sir. Great teacher btw.

[@growitbuildit]

You're welcome Steve, and thank you. Good luck!

[@donthompson4912]

I successfully watched the complete video !

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you DON!

[@calvinmarchildon5598]

My favorite ever compost video

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you Calvin! I'm glad you enjoyed it.

[@stevepalmer3291]

Found this very informative and will start a pile straightaway. Lincolnshire uk

[@growitbuildit]

Excellent - Good luck this Winter Steve!

[@beckyweum7985]

Made it to the end, no problem! Thanks for the tips regarding pumpkins and coffee grounds! I'm trying to think of places that I can similarly get sawdust or cardboard and packing paper. Late spring here and we've had a ton of rain, I'm worried that my pile stopped cooking. That's why I'm re-watching these. Maybe I can kick it up again by feeding more. We don't accumulate much green or brown too fast. Also, it's been 6 weeks since I started the pile, so maybe now it just needs curing? It looks like there is a lot of good dirt in it. I could sift out the big stuff, add the dirt to my garden and use what's left in a new pile? We'll see! It's been fun so far. Thank you so much to your videos, they are awesome! Cheers from WI!

[@growitbuildit]

Hi Becky - if your pile looks 75-90% broken down, then it is probably ready for curing. Just turn it weekly for a few weeks, and it should get really 'crumbly' and be ready to use. Otherwise, when a pile stops getting hot, it usually is because it doesn't have air. As the pile breaks down it will compress onto itself, squeezing out any air. Now, once material is decomposed, and the nitrogen is consumed it will no longer get hot, which is perfectly normal. But if you have a lot of visible brown left, you can add greens.

[@julieadorno6743]

Great information! Watched the whole thing and sent to my brother. Keep up the good work! Thank you!!

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you Julie - I'm glad you found it helpful, and thank you for sharing it. Good luck this Winter!

[@wynterstearns7424]

I made it to the end of the video. I live in Wisconsin and have struggled to keep my compost pile turned in the winter. This video has motivated e to keep on it.

[@growitbuildit]

Excellent - I am glad I could inspire you Wynter. Good luck this Winter!

[@petrastuder7981]

Great video! Thank you for all the info!

[@KingArthurk]

First video I learnt about the temperature dynamics inside the pile. Explains a few things I was struggling with. Thanks

[@growitbuildit]

Excellent - I am very glad I could help you out Arthur!

[@judyfellows7381]

Yes I made it to the end! Never added paper scraps for the brown ….will do it tomorrow as well as coffee ground. Learned a lot Thank You!

[@growitbuildit]

Excellent Judy! I'm glad I could help you out, good luck on your pile!

[@kate8429]

Excellent video, thank you for providing the links, instantly subscribed

[@growitbuildit]

You are very welcome Kate - I'm glad you found it helpful. Good luck!

[@marciacunningham5877]

I get a lot of cardboard from Amazon shipments and also Walmart. I shred them with a commercial cross cut paper shredder. This is really great for my compost. It also makes a very good and somewhat attractive mulch if you stay away from the grey Chinese stuff. Michael

[@growitbuildit]

That is a good tip Michael - I have not tried using a paper shredder. I usually just use a big hunting knife.

[@Cultivatinggratitude]

I live in zone b6 in Pennsylvania and started for my first time a compost leaf bin with leafs, twigs, and grass clippings in the shade for the winter to leave it be and another im testing with just dried leaves and grass clippings in layers i started and caged it in since we don't have such a big property at all. I began it about a month ago now and i do add coffee grounds and I left it alone for two weeks and the temperature reached 90 then I decided to cover it around with plastic to give some protection around from the cold to see if it would help heat up the process faster and a week later it was at 110 so I went ahead and turned it and it was fascinating to see and I did just as you said, I began to add kitchen scraps, when i turned today my pile i saw alot of good things and I do again have this one in a nice sunny area since although winter is already pretty much here ( it was hailing mildly today) we still had some mild sun but still some sunny days the pile gets. ANY advice helps and this video was very helpful for a winter composter beginner such as myself as I vermicompost also, thanks in advance.

[@growitbuildit]

You are very welcome! I'm glad you found it helpful, and it sounds like you are doing a good job. Try to get coffee grounds if you can - a large influx of those can do wonders.

[@moonwichkitty]

Made it to the end. Enjoying your content

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it. I wasn't sure people would want to see the entire process after the main part of the video.

[@brianduffy1338]

Highly informative. Made it to the end. Kind of fascinating watching the piles being turned.

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you Brian. It feels really good to turn a steaming pile in the dead of winter. Especially when everything is silent outside, and you have you own 'natural furnace' in your backyard.

[@facereader99]

Thank you very much. Yes, watched to the end.

[@growitbuildit]

You are very welcome and I'm glad you found it helpful!

[@cindyespinosa7790]

Hi, thank you for your nice video.Im going to to start a compost pile .And all your information is great ,will follow the way you do it lol ..thanks & nice compose ...

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you so much Cindy! I'm glad you found it helpful!

[@cindyespinosa7790]

Welcome

[@rafa106900]

Made it to the end. This my second time watching it but as you said, food scraps breakdown quickly. I revisited your video because I depleted one side of my compost bin and started a new one but wanted to make sure how often to turn over the pile. You have the most informative videos and always visit for references. I am in Virginia zone 7a. Thank you.

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you! I try to keep my videos all about information

[@oxanamodna3186]

Thanks for the video, it's just what I was looking for.

[@growitbuildit]

You are very welcome Oxana - I'm glad you enjoyed it.

[@paulsullivan3791]

Been composting in Rhode Island for 30 years and only tried winter composting a couple of times. Rather go XC skiing. But your video, which I watched till the end, was informative and entertaining and I may continue my composting a little bit longer. But 2° is where I'll stay inside and watch it work it's magic thru the window! Thanks !

[@growitbuildit]

Glad you found it entertaining Paul. And I understand about wanting to xc ski instead. Although watching me turn a pile for 30 minutes may look like I'm working hard, outside of initial construction I probably only spent 15 min a week on the pile. I was generally pretty quick to get out there, add/turn and get back inside. But, none the less xc skiing or hiking, would all be more fun then turning a pile!

[@amandafletcher288]

Made it to the end! Going to my local juice bar and coffee shop right now 😁

[@growitbuildit]

Excellent - good luck starting your pile Amanda!

[@joemackenzie8481]

Thank you , I was hoping to get information about winter composting

[@growitbuildit]

You are welcome Joe - good luck!

[@maemaemay7013]

I'm in CO, our compost bins are a sad affair. Thank you for this documentation & encouragement!

[@growitbuildit]

You are very welcome Mae - I'm happy I was able to help you out.

[@nikkimoritz6890]

Made it to the end! Thank you for your video! I compost all year but I don't keep it active. I'm an "add it on top and fix it in the spring" kind of winter composter. Your video gives me another way to think about doing compost in the winter. Happy composting! 💚

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you Nikki - glad to hear from you.