Why Fall Is the Best Time to Begin Composting

Composting is an important component of organic gardening and creating a sustainable garden setup. Compost is an invaluable material to add to soil, increasing nutrients and improving drainage and texture. Taking care to follow a few basic guidelines can create better results, including higher quality compost to use in the garden and fewer problems with pests or odor.

Composting will be a slightly different endeavor depending on the time of year since compost generally needs heat and moisture to break down plant matter. Putting effort into composting in the fall turns out to be a good productive time for this important garden activity. There are a few considerations for effective autumn composting.

Below, read on to find out why composting in the fall is the best time and how to do it properly.

Why Should You Compost in Fall

Although you can have a compost heap all year round, focusing on composting in the fall makes sense for the organic garden calendar for several important reasons.

• Get a head start for next season: starting your compost pile in the fall lets you produce useable compost over the winter for the spring-summer garden season.
• Reuse garden materials: composting gives you a place for the plant debris removed during your end-of-season clean-up, including leaves, annual flowers, weeds, and trimmings from shrubs.
• Allow cold temperatures to do some of the work: the freezing and thawing of plant waste in your compost heap through the winter weakens plant structure and helps them rot and break down into a rich base for composting.

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How to Compost in Fall

Getting started on your autumn composting will require some basic tools and equipment. What you need depends on what type of composting setup you have, but there are some basic steps you will need to take for any compost project.

1. Choose a container: whether you use a plastic tumbler, a wooden bin, an old trash can, or an open compost cage made with wire, choose a compost receptacle that works for your space and abilities.
2. Place the compost in an accessible but practical spot: near your shed makes more sense than next to your patio. Remember compost heaps can sometimes smell a bit ripe in high summer.
3. Add layers of green and brown materials: green means grass, leaves, vegetable scraps, and plant trimmings, whereas brown means high carbon materials like dried cornstalks, twigs, cardboard, sawdust, and straw.
4. Add water: compost needs plenty of moisture to decompose and break down plant matter; water regularly to keep it slightly moist but not wet.
5. Turn regularly: using a garden shovel or pitchfork, turn the top layer of compost to aerate it and improve decomposition.

What Not to Compost

There are some materials that should not be composted. Some of these are obvious, like synthetic materials or those treated with chemicals or pesticides. Food waste from fruits and vegetables is normally fine, but animal products including meat, seafood, and dairy should be avoided, as well as oils. All of these can attract unwanted pests. Pet feces should also not be put into the compost as they may contain bacteria or parasites best left out of your garden soil.

In terms of garden waste, it’s usually best to avoid placing any known invasive plants in your compost, to prevent them from spreading. Large seedheads or root clumps should also be avoided as they may re-establish themselves before they can break down. Hard or dense plant materials (such as large sunflower stems or sticks) may break down more slowly in winter, so try not to add too many of them to your autumn compost.

Tips for Fall Composting

Try these tips for effective composting in autumn.

• Have a balanced mix of green and brown materials
• Shred thicker leaves such as oak leaves using a mower if possible, to help break them down
• Remove seed heads and root clumps to avoid propagating new plants in the compost
• Keep compost pile moist but not wet
• Turn the compost pile regularly
• Avoid composting animal products like dairy, meat, and oils which can attract pests
• Avoid composting invasive plants and weeds
• In cold areas, put an insulating layer of leaves or other lightweight plant material over the top to prevent the pile from freezing solid, which may delay decomposition