Composting is an awesome way to reduce food waste, while putting depleted nutrients back into the soil. The problem? Indoor composting gets a little tricky when temps drop and the ground gets cold and firm. This begs the question of what to do with rich compost once you’ve filled your indoor compost bucket. After all, digging a hole in the yard to bury compost isn’t realistic when there’s snow and ice on the ground.
Three No-fuss Ways to Store Winter Compost
There are a lot of ways to store your surplus of compost, but there are only a few ways to ensure you lock in the nutrients that makes compost so good for the soil. For this blog, we chose to explore the latter.
On the ground, not in it.
If you have the luxury of having a living space with a large yard or garden, good for you. This makes it easier for you to store the surplus from your indoor composter. Once removing excess compost from the bucket, try storing it on the ground of your garden bed or a designated area of the yard.
Once it’s on the ground, simply cover it with a tarp or plastic sheet. “This will prevent excess moisture from rain and snow runoff but allow a bit of humidity to seep in and keep the pile damp,” explains Gardening Know How. And though this may seem obvious, don’t lay down your compost directly on sodden ground. You’re sure to get plenty of moisture throughout the blustery winter season, so you want a relatively dry area when you’re first putting down your compost.
In trash bins
Whether you have too small a yard or simply don’t enjoy what tarp-covered piles do for your outdoor aesthetic, consider storing your excess compost in large bins. We like the large trash bins with wheels, as this makes springtime compost transport to the garden easy and mess-free.
The key to keeping this compost fresh? Keep the compost moist (not damp), regularly mixing your batch.
Inside bags
If you don’t produce a ton of compost, consider storing it inside plastic bags. You’ll want to keep the bags sealed to avoid malodor, still regularly stirring the mixture to secure long-lasting freshness.
When it comes to storing excess compost from your indoor composter, there are a few good options to get you through winter. Just remember to keep things sealed and moist, not damp!
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