Found out my compost pile was way too dry for months

I've been trying to get into composting for about a year now, and my pile always just sat there looking like dry dirt. Nothing broke down, no heat, just sad dead leaves. I tried adding more greens like kitchen scraps, even bought some compost starter from the garden center. Still nothing. Then last week I went to a local workshop at the community garden in Oak Park, and the guy running it asked me how wet my pile was. I told him it felt kinda dry and he laughed and said that was my whole problem. He showed me to grab a handful and squeeze it - it should feel like a wrung-out sponge, not powder. I went home and dumped like 5 gallons of water on my pile over two days and turned it all, and now it's actually steaming in the middle for the first time. Anyone else totally miss something basic like moisture levels when they started composting?

2 comments

2 Comments

casey39315d ago

That "wrung out sponge" thing changed everything for me too. I let my pile dry out for months before someone finally told me the same thing.

joseph93215d ago

Wait is letting your pile dry out really that big of a problem? I mean yeah it slows down a bit but I feel like people act like your whole compost operation is ruined forever if you forget to water it one weekend. Honestly I've let mine go totally dry for like a week in the summer heat and it bounced back fine after a good soak. Ngl I think some folks overthink this stuff and make it sound way more serious than it actually is.