The types of wood chips best for composting are softwood trees since they will break down faster in the composting process. Cypress, mahogany, oak, redwood, and cedar are particularly slow to break down in compost.
Hemlock or cedar can be used as an alternative to pressure treated lumber in raised bed or compost bin construction.
Decaying wood provides homes for countless organisms including insects, worms, fungi and birds. As it rots it slowly enriches the soil adding loads of carbon-rich organic matter.
Sometimes, wood shavings can take as little as three months to decompose into finished compost, but they can take two to four years if you leave them to break down naturally. Over the summer months, the centre of the pile heats up, and wood shavings decompose more quickly.
While adding compost to your soil can increase soil organic matter and improve soil health and fertility, too much compost can cause problems for the health of your plants and the environment.
Wood chips are an organic product and, as such, are beneficial for composting and can be good for your finished compost. Composting recipes require adding brown or carbon-rich materials and green or nitrogen-rich materials to balance the compost and result in a healthy, nutritious end product.
Some species of wood are naturally rot resistant due to complex chemical compounds that they evolved to protect themselves against decay. Well-known domestic examples include cedar, redwood, old-growth cypress, mulberry, yew, osage orange, and black locust.
Composting works in sun or shade Piles in sunny spots will decompose quicker but also dry out faster and may need supplemental watering during hot dry weather. Those located in a shadier spot will stay moist longer but decompose slower. In either case, make sure the soil below the pile is well-drained.
DON'T add meat scraps, bones, grease, whole eggs, or dairy products to the compost pile because they decompose slowly, cause odors, and can attract rodents. DON'T add pet feces or spent cat liter to the compost pile. DON'T add diseased plant material or weeds that have gone to seed.
The Short Answer. In most cases, a compost pile does not need a cover. Unfinished compost breaks down into a terrific soil additive if the pile is uncovered the whole time. Only three things are necessary for effective composting: air, water and a blend of brown and green material.
If you're building your compost bin from scratch, you don't usually need to add a bottom to it. Having composting materials sit directly on soil allows microorganisms, worms and insects — creatures that facilitate the composting process — to move from soil into compost.
There are several products that should never be used as mulch: sawdust, wood shavings and un-aged wood chips. As these materials begin to break down, they consume large amounts of nitrogen, depriving surrounding plants of this vital nutrient.
Sawdust actually makes a great amendment for your compost pile, as it will add a filler that is somewhat absorptive and will wick up water from rain and juices from the green material, which help with the composting process. It does not matter what kind of wood your sawdust is from.
Grass clippings decompose very rapidly, but because of their high nitrogen content and fresh state, they can burn young plants if over applied. Two inches of fresh grass clippings added every week or two are plenty. They are a great mulch when applied between crop rows in the vegetable garden.
Compost loses volume over time
The shrinkage does continue but slows down considerably as the compost becomes more stable. However, it will still slowly decrease in bulk over time. If you leave it too long, you are feeding microorganisms in the compost, rather than in the soil.
If you overwater your compost pile, it may begin to smell rotten and the soggy compost may slow down the decomposition process. Step 4: Aerate your compost pile every three to seven days by turning it with a shovel or stick.
The rule of thumb for an active, hot pile is every three days until it stops heating up. Some over-enthusiastic composters rush out after a day and turn the pile. This is a bit too much of a good thing.
Boric acid (borate) is one of the most effective fungicides for use in treating wood rot. It can be applied to wood during construction to prevent future rot, or as a treatment to stop an active decay fungus from growing.
Add leafy plant clippings to the compost.
Green plant clippings, weeds, and freshly cut flowers from your lawn can also increase the nitrogen found in your compost. After trimming the plants on your lawn, add the remains to your compost.