9 Tips to Make Super-Quick Compost (in just 30 Days)

If you’ve been gardening for any length of time, I’m going to go on and assume that you use compost on the regular. And if you don’t, you should! Compost is one of the very best ways to help any plant grow and thrive. Best of all, it’s darn near free to make and requires very little actual effort. There’s no reason you shouldn’t be using it!

The issue is that compost will always take one resource in abundance, and that resource is time…

The delicate processes of decomposition that turn various kinds of organic matter into nutrient-rich compost can take weeks on end to complete, up to 3 months or even a little longer. That’s a huge pain if you want compost right now and you don’t want to pay for it.

Luckily, you don’t have to wait that long if you use the nine tips I’m about to share with you to make a super-speedy batch of compost. Grab your gloves and your spade, and we will dig right in.

Keep the Pile a Little Smaller

If you’re going for speed when you’re making compost, shrink the size of the pile a little bit. You’ll see most folks recommend that a nominal size for a compost pile should be about one cubic yard. There are lots of good reasons for this, and thermal efficiency is one of them…

Still, the larger the pile, the more variables you’ll have to control, and get right, to maintain the correct temperature and keep decomposition trucking along. There’s a sort of square-cube law at work, too: a larger pile just breaks down more slowly compared to a smaller one, all things being equal.

3 to 5 cubic feet of compost is ideal for a super-fast batch; it will break down quicker and make your job of keeping it properly maintained for maximum speed of decomposition so much easier.

This is the perfect opportunity to use a small tumbler or even a couple of large buckets for the purpose.

Start Your Batch with Some Finished Compost

Start your new compost pile with a couple of scoops of rich, finished compost. This will give it a boost of beneficial microorganisms and an environment that supports proper temperature and moisture levels, two critical factors for rapid decomposition.

Remember this when you are finished with this new batch, also: reserve just a little bit for your future composting efforts and you’ll keep things moving along as quickly as possible.

Mince and Shred Your Compost Ingredients

If you were to change just one thing about your usual composting procedure, make it this. Taking the time to shred, and I mean really shred, the individual ingredients that get added to the pile will greatly speed up decomposition and ensure a uniform texture throughout.

You can do this by blending your kitchen scraps or chopping up yard waste. For instance, if you have veggie peels and scraps of fruit that you plan on adding to the pile, pulse them in your blender or food processor until they have a texture like chunky salsa. That’s all it takes.

For yard waste like leaves, twigs, grass clippings, and the like, run over them with your mower and collect them in a bagger for easy adding.

If you don’t have a mower with a bag attachment, you can add these things to a heavy-duty metal or plastic container and then grind them up with a string trimmer for roughly the same effect.

Maintain an Ideal Brown/Green Ratio

We are back to composting 101, but I’m mentioning it here because it bears repeating: if you want to finish your compost ASAP, you’ve got to pay close attention to your ratio of carbon-rich to nitrogen-rich ingredients.

You’ll see various recommendations out on the net and in gardening handbooks, things like three to one, four to one, and even 30 to 1. I recommend you stick with the classic three to one ratio (browns to greens), but pay really close attention to the quantities…

When those ratios start to shift too radically or too quickly, this disrupts the delicate ecology of an established and working compost pile, meaning decomposition will stall or, potentially, halt entirely.

The good news is that because you are grinding everything up before putting it in the pile—right?—it’s easier than ever to measure your portions.

Using a large scooper or a dedicated bucket for the purpose with hash marks will allow you to easily control the ratio of additions.

Turn Thoroughly, Turn Often

Even the greenest of compost commandos knows that keeping your pile turned is important to keep the process going. What these people don’t know, and what you need to know to produce a speedy batch, is that it needs constant turning.

Turning your compost regularly ensures thorough and constant aeration, which is essential to keep the good bacteria munching away while keeping the bad bacteria, the anaerobic kind, dormant. That latter variety works much, much more slowly.

If you are using a compost tumbler, this will be effortless. If you are making compost in a bucket, you can pour it from one to another, stir it, then pour it back. You can use a pitchfork or shovel to turn a larger pile.

You should be thoroughly turning the compost no less than twice a week, and when you’re really in a hurry, make it three times a week. It’s not as big a chore as it sounds since we are working with a smaller quantity, don’t
forget.

Maintain Optimal Temperature

The trickiest factor to manage when we’re trying to set a speed record with our compost is temperature. Once the decomposition process has begun, the pile will generate its own heat, but because we are working with a smaller quantity, we usually need to help out a little bit.

You should strive to keep the compost pile at a temperature of between 130°F and 150°F (54°C 65°C). This will ensure optimum health for the beneficial bacteria and other microorganisms we are depending on, and the healthier they are, the faster the process goes.

You can monitor the temperature with a probe-style thermometer or an infrared “laser” thermometer if you want to go high-tech.

Just be careful because we don’t want the pile to get too hot, either: placing the bin in a sunny spot that gets shade during the hottest part of the day usually does the trick.

If you’re struggling to keep a consistently warm temperature and have your compost in a mostly closed container, consider painting it black to raise the temp.

Maintain Ideal Moisture Level

Keeping a consistent and optimal moisture level is the other factor you must constantly attend to. Generally, this is pretty easy as long as you are staying on top of stirring the compost because you’ll be able to tell when it’s drying out. Don’t let that happen!

But as with temperature, we are trying to maintain a happy medium: neither too dry nor too wet because either is disastrous. How wet is properly wet? Your compost should feel like a wrung-out rag or sponge. Not sopping wet, but not dry to the touch.

I prefer to mist the compost with one of those selectable sprayer heads or with a garden sprayer to carefully and gradually increase moisture without risk of an accident.

Add a Shot of Fermented Foods to Accelerate Decomposition

This is a genuine secret weapon for making compost as fast as possible. If you’ve got any yogurt, sauerkraut, fermented veggies, kimchi, or anything else in your kitchen that you are willing to sacrifice for the cause, adding just a little to the compost will introduce a huge flush of beneficial microorganisms that will start breaking things down posthaste.

This is a great example, though, of a little bit going a long way: you only want to add a small handful, perhaps about a cup or two. That’s all it takes, and adding more can lead to a regime change of sorts among the bacteria and other tiny critters, which will slow decomposition.

Cover Loosely

Don’t forget to keep your compost pile covered, but not fully covered. This is especially important with the smaller quantity we are working with to help hold in that precious heat and moisture.

However, covering it too tightly will result in a lack of airflow, which can be problematic as we learned above. The good news is this is easy enough to implement no matter what style of compost bin you have…

If you’re working with a proper bin or other container, just close the lid but make sure there is a hole in it or vents that will allow air to circulate. If you want to cover the pile itself with a tarp or sheet of plastic, use sticks or something else to prop it up and give it a little standoff.

When it’s time to turn the compost, uncover it, do what you need to do, and don’t forget to cover it again when you’re done.