Using a compost starter can speed up the process. It takes time to make compost. Organic matter requires about two to three months to break down in hot compost piles, and up to a year or more in cold ...

Winter composting can feel like watching paint dry, except the paint is frozen and the “dry” part is literal. Cold slows microbes, your pile shrinks less, and kitchen scraps seem to sit there forever.

If you're looking for something to help your compost break down faster, look no further than beer. Unlike humans, you see, decomposing organic matter doesn't mind if a pint of pilsner has gone flat.

A well-managed pile reaches 130 to 160°F in the active phase. Hot composting at those temperatures kills most weed seeds and pathogens.