It's taking too long!

We cannot stop and start natural processes; we can only change the factors that influence the way nature works. Composting bins and heaps are essentially a way of creating ideal conditions for nature to break things down.

Why is it so slow?

It can take from two months to a year to make good compost. The time it takes depends on a range of factors:

• The weather - the colder it is the slower the process. 
• The ingredients – the bigger the bits of material you put in, the longer it will take for them to break down. Also if you do not have a balanced mixture of green and brown material going into the bin it is harder for the bugs to get a balanced diet, and so they will not function so well. 
• Lack of air for the bugs to breath and/or a lack of moisture.

Solutions

• Make sure that you are putting in a good mixture of brown and green materials. 
• Chop up or shred large things that you want to compost – the smaller they are, the quicker they will break down. 
• Activity in your compost bin will slow down during the winter. You can insulate your heap or bin using bits of old carpet, cardboard or bubble wrap. Old sleeping bags are a brilliant way of insulating plastic compost bins.
• To add air - stir or turn the compost and add more brown materials such as scrunched up newspaper. This will provide food and will also trap air.
• To add moisture – (if you squeeze a handful it should be like squeezing out a sponge) simply add more green materials and leave the lid off and let the rain in. 
• Turning the compost can balance the moisture content, as sometimes it can be dry on the outside but wet in the middle.

What about activators?

When compost is working well there is no need for any activators. If you use the solutions above, your compost will correct itself on its own.

Activators are either a concentrated form of nitrogen or a dose of healthy bugs. The best activator you can use is urine, but if you don’t fancy the idea other suggestions follow:

• Nettles or comfrey leaves - either add them as they are or soak them in water and then add the liquid (brilliant for the garden as it is essentially Baby Bio).
• A few handfuls of healthy soil or compost from a previous batch or neighbour - these will import most of the bugs you need.
• If you are really desperate you can buy activators from most garden centres. They range from liquids, which are the same as making comfrey tea, to powders, which contain enzymes.