So does anyone recommend covering your mulch pile with black plastic
to speed decomposition over the winter? I have a rather large pile
(VW beetle size) of well mixed top soil, chipped branches and leaves,
grass clippings and last years compost with earthworms. I want to
maximize decompostion so I can use it in spring. Will keeping covered
keep it warmer?

thanks

Hal

wrote in message
...
So does anyone recommend covering your mulch pile with black plastic
to speed decomposition over the winter? I have a rather large pile
(VW beetle size) of well mixed top soil, chipped branches and leaves,
grass clippings and last years compost with earthworms. I want to
maximize decompostion so I can use it in spring. Will keeping covered
keep it warmer?

thanks

Hal

it will likely keep some of the rain off which is useful if the pile is hot,
it will help keep it from being cooled by too much rain and going soggy. If
the pile is cool and cold composting I doubt it will make too much
difference. I use old carpet on my compost (breaking down in my gardens) to
keep the pile moist as I notice under mulch the top layers break down better
and has good work activity than if left open to the elements.

rob

Hi Hal,

I get to see a variety of composty heaps in the course of my work, and I have to say that the only thing that seems to make any difference (in my opinion) is the sheer size of the heap. The bigger, the better. It's always the top layer and the edges that are least rotted.

You can help yourself by making a neat squared-off pile, rather than a pyramid: even if you don't have any fencing or edging, muck can still be piled up with squarish sides (years of experience mucking out horses...) but it's easier if you can make simple bins from pallets, or from posts and chickenwire, or even by piling up old bricks neatly and alternately, to make "walls" with lots of air holes.

I have two clients with what I would have called "badly built" bins, with solid sides, and with solid concrete floors, but both of them are a good five feet across, six or more feet deep (and four feet high) and both of them make fantastic stuff.

Technically, there is a difference between making compost the normal way, and making it from leaf mould, but it sounds as though you are making normal stuff, in which case George's comments are correct about water being the important element: if it's too dry, it simply won't rot.

Hope this helps?!