How To Compost In The Winter (Easy Method)

Yes, you can compost all winter in a cold climate. Here’s how I store kitchen scraps in a simple, animal-proof setup so they’re ready to break down in spring.

If you’re new to composting, I have a clear explanation including what “greens” and “browns” are here: Composting 101: Slow & Fast Methods.

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Winter Composting

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Contents

• How to Get Started
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Resources

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How to Get Started

1Set Up a Convenient, Animal-Proof Winter Bin

Place an animal-resistant container in a location that’s easy to access without having to shovel or trudge through snow.

I’ll show you some options. I use a galvanized trash can as my winter container, and I move the contents to my compost tumbler in spring. But do whatever is most convenient for you. The easier it is to do, the more likely we are to keep up with it.

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Galvanized Trash Can

I use a 20-gallon galvanized can with a tight-fitting lid. Unless you have bears, it should be enough to keep raccoons and other rummagers out. With a locking lid, you can even roll it to mix the contents.

Some gardeners add ventilation holes. I haven’t found a need for this.

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Compost Tumbler

If you have the space, a tumbler is excellent for winter. A sealed drum keeps wildlife out, and you can turn it in any weather.

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5-Gallon Food-Grade Buckets

Food-grade buckets are a good option for small households or limited space. They’re easy to lift, seal tightly, and don’t cost much.

With this method, you set up a bin close to the house where it’s convenient and you won’t need to shovel a path to get to it in the middle of January.

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2Collect Kitchen Waste

The greens (nitrogen-rich goodies) include scraps from fruits and vegetables, egg shells, coffee grounds, tea bags (no paper or staples, though). I skip things like processed foods, meat, and dairy for several reasons including how they can be too enticing to wildlife.

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3Freeze The Scraps (My Favorite Trick)

If you don’t have time to add scraps to your bin daily, freezing is another option.

I do this step (all year-round) because I don’t like the stink of keeping a scrap bin in the kitchen and it also prevents fruit flies.

• Easy Method: Keep one heavy-duty freezer bag dedicated to kitchen scraps (greens) in your freezer.
• Faster Breakdown: Chop or blend your scraps into small bits and pieces. Then place in a heavy-duty freezer bag in your freezer. Smaller pieces will break down faster.

Rinse and reuse the freezer bag—they can last for ages.

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4Add Frozen Scraps To Your Winter Bin

When the freezer bag is full, dump it in your outdoor bin.

Each time you add greens, cover them with a generous layer of browns.

If you add greens without enough browns, warm spells can cause fermentation—not pleasant.

Another way to think of it is, you don’t want the composting materials to be too wet from the greens or too dry from the browns.

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5Maintenance During Thaws

On warmer days:

• Mix or roll the bin to combine layers.
• Add water if everything looks dry. You’re aiming for “damp cloth,” not “wet sponge.”
• If you get a multi-day warm spell, you can leave the lid cracked or off to let excess moisture escape.

Everything freezes again as temperatures drop.

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6Move it to Your Regular Compost in Spring

Once spring has settled in and temperatures are consistently above freezing:

• Empty the winter bin into your main compost pile or tumbler.
• Add more browns if needed.
• Continue regular composting as usual (turning, watering, adding layers).

Even if your scraps didn’t break down during winter, nature will take over during the warmer months.

Frequently-Asked Questions

Can you compost in winter?

Yes, you can definitely save food scraps for composting in the winter. I keep mine in a bin outside as described (above).

How and if the scraps will decompose depends entirely on the conditions and temperature. During deep freezes, everything stops. During warmer spells, it resumes.

Do compost tumblers work in winter?

Yes, compost tumblers are useful all year-round. A compost tumbler (like this Mantis one on Amazon) is a good idea particularly in the winter. An open compost pile may attract vermin and other wild animals while a tumbler should not.

How much the food scraps convert to compost in winter is going to depend on conditions and temperatures. Basically, compost piles naturally heat up with microbial activity which in turn is converting the kitchen scraps to compost (earthy soil for the garden).

During the winter, a full bin with a good mix of greens and browns (see Composting 101) and adequate moisture may still heat enough at the core to continue breaking down.

A bin with a small amount of ingredients and no insulation from the cold will probably just act as a storage bin until you add more scraps and temperatures warm.

Do I need to turn the compost?

During warmer months, it is ideal to turn the pile 1-2 times per week unless everything is frozen solid. Turning the bin helps to aerate the pile, offering fresh oxygen to the aerobic bacteria that are critical to this process. In cold winter, the process will stall, but it resumes during thaws.

In optimum conditions, the pile naturally heats from within, caused by the bacterial activity, and the various organisms convert the materials to earthy compost. This can take weeks or months.

Compost is so valuable and it’s a total bummer to send food waste to landfills where it rots and attracts vermin—and may be illegal. If you have long winters like we do here, that’s a lot of potential compost wasted!

How can I speed up winter composting?

Everything depends on the weather, but if you get warm spells, there is a chance of some activity in the compost bin.

Here are some best practices. Just like summer composting: always finely chop anything you add to the pile. The smaller the bits, the faster they can break down.

Next, if you have an open compost pile, a bigger mass of greens and browns is better for heat, so make it as big as you can in winter.

If you have room, an open compost pile at least 6x6x6-feet should have enough mass to counter the winter cold. It’s the warmth within the pile that encourages the microbes (and everything else) to get busy and transform into compost.

A tarp can also help keep heat in and prevent the pile from getting too soggy.

And finally, whenever you get a warm spell, turn the pile as best you can to keep the oxygen flowing. That helps aerate it and further encourage good conditions for decomposition.

But even if the weather doesn’t cooperate, you’re still ahead of the game for saving all those scraps.

Resources

Read More

• How to Compost Without Pests (Sorry, Rats!)
• Why Your Compost Pile Stinks & How to Fix It
• How to Build a Worm Tower for Composting
• The Most Important Fall Garden Tasks.
• Should I Use Compost Tea?
• Tips for Using Animal Manures to Enrich Your Soil
• Biochar as a Soil Amendment (Pros and Cons)

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~Melissa the Empress of Dirt ♛