Hot Composting Recipe for a quick acting heap: The hotter the pile, the faster the composting. There are three groups of bacteria that exist within a compost pile. The fastest of these prefer to live and work in hot temperatures of around 40-93 degrees C (104-200 degrees F). If you want to make compost quickly, you must create the conditions that will allow them to work. Hot compost piles are desirable for avoiding pest problems, killing plant pathogens, and destroying weed seeds. You can include a wider range of materials when using hot composting. Hot composting is best done in batches. Key factors to consider: Gather 50% carbon-rich or brown materials and 50% nitrogen-rich or green materials by weight to make a pile that is at least three feet cubed. Add materials all at once. You need fresh as well as dry materials, as brown material generally does not contain enough nitrogen to heat up on its own. Chop up or shred materials to increase the surface area as much as possible. Build the pile with a 4" to 6" base of brown material, which will allow air into the pile at the bottom. Moisten these materials. Alternate layers of green and brown materials, adding water and a scoop or two of soil until the pile is three to four feet high (until the bin is full). Mix and cover the pile with a lid, plastic bags or other material. Monitor the heat in the centre of the pile. It should peak between 50-70 degrees C (120-160 degrees F), about four to seven days later. (Compost thermometers are available.) Every time the temperature peaks, turn the pile. Continue this turning process until compost is finished in about three to four weeks! Not everyone wants or needs a hot compost pile. Nonetheless, this recipe will produce compost faster than other approaches.

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