My compost bin was cooking the wrong way for 2 summers
Turns out I was piling grass clippings and food scraps in layers like a lasagna, but I never turned the pile. A neighbor peeked in and said it smelled like a swamp, and after checking the temp with a probe it was cold as dirt. Anyone else skip turning for weeks because it felt like extra work? What's your lazy compost fix?
Layering without turning is basically just making a trash sandwich. The greens and browns need to actually mix so the bacteria can get to everything at once. What worked for me was skipping the whole pile-flipping routine and just drilling holes in a length of PVC pipe, then shoving it down the middle of the bin. Air gets to the center without me touching a pitchfork. Toss in a handful of dirt or finished compost now and then for the microbes, and it stays warm on its own.